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Journalism of Courage
Skewed sex ratio is assuming alarming proportions in the country with the United Nations predicting a margin of 25 million by 2040 between the ever-increasing male population and the dwindling numbers of the opposite sex. This, it warns, will lead to the break-up of the family structure, fierce competition among men to tie the knot and polyandry. The growing imbalance is attributed to the preference of the Indian psyche for a son over a daughter.
These are the findings of a recent survey by the United Nations Population Fund in four countries — India, China, Vietnam and Nepal. It was released on Monday at the Asia-Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights in Hyderabad.
The proportion of boys in India’s child population has been on the rise for the past 20 years. As a result, for every 100 females, 120 baby boys are born in some parts of the country. This is much higher than the ratio of 100:108 in 2001. The survey also indicates that there is an increasing pressure on women to have a son after daughters.
