MANDI: Vallabh Government College in Mandi hosted a seminar on Wednesday (May 15, 2024) to underscore the urgent need for collective efforts to eradicate female foeticide and promote gender equality.
Organised in the Bachelor of Education Department and guided by Rajendra Chauhan, the event featured a presentation by student trainee Nikhil Dharwal, who shed light on the pressing issue of female foeticide and its impact on the society.
Dharwal emphasised the gravity of the problem, highlighting the stark contradiction in societal attitudes where girls are revered as goddesses but often subjected to foeticide due to a preference for sons.
He pointed out that advancements in technology, while beneficial for societal development, are being misused for gender determination through ultrasound, leading to the termination of female foetuses.
Statistics presented during the seminar revealed a disturbing decline in the sex ratio — from 962 females per 1,000 males in 1981 to just 918 in 2011. This decline is attributed to factors such as preference for son, dowry system, poverty, conservative thinking and lack of education. The repercussions of female foeticide include a significant reduction in the female population, adverse effects on women’s health, increased suicide rates and the emergence of issues like prostitution.
To combat the issue, the government has implemented several measures, including the PCPNDT Act, ITPA Act and the MTP Act of 1971. Dharwal stressed the need for a societal mindset shift and greater awareness to effectively address female feticide.
In his concluding remarks, Dharwal expressed hope for a future where daughters are celebrated, saying, “If only every morning was like the ninth day of Navratri, and in everyone’s eyes, daughters were seen as goddesses. Female foeticide is a sin.”
