Female Infanticide, Meaning, History, Causes, Laws & Impact

Female Infanticide is the practice of intentionally ending the life of a newborn girl child. It is a serious social issue rooted in gender discrimination, where boys are often valued more than girls. This mindset comes from factors like traditional beliefs, economic pressures, and social norms. Although laws and awareness have improved over time, it still reflects the need for greater respect, equality, and protection for the girl child in society.

Meaning and Definition of Female Infanticide

• Female Infanticide refers to the deliberate killing of a newborn girl child, usually soon after birth, only because she is female, which is unjust and inhumane. It is a harmful practice that denies a child the basic right to life.
• This act mainly happens due to a strong preference for male children, where boys are often seen as more valuable for social, cultural, or economic reasons.
• It reflects deep-rooted gender inequality, where girls may be viewed as a burden because of factors like dowry, family expectations, or limited economic opportunities.
• It is considered a serious social evil and a violation of human rights, as every child has the right to live, grow, and be treated equally.
• The practice is often influenced by traditional beliefs, poverty, lack of education, and social pressure, especially in areas where gender bias is strong.

Female Infanticide Historical Background and Prevalence

• Female Infanticide has deep historical roots in India, especially in regions where there was a strong preference for male children due to social and cultural reasons.
• In the pre-colonial period, the practice was reported among certain communities, mainly due to concerns about dowry and family honour.
• During the colonial period, the British recognized the issue and introduced laws such as the Female Infanticide Prevention Act, 1870 to control it.
• After independence, India adopted constitutional provisions (Articles 14 & 15) promoting equality and introduced various laws to protect women and children.
• Despite legal efforts, the problem continued due to deep-rooted patriarchy, social norms, and economic pressures.
• Over time, the impact of such practices has been reflected in India’s demographic trends. The sex ratio declined from 972 females per 1000 males in 1901 to 933 in 2001, showing long-term gender imbalance.
• As per Census 2011, the sex ratio slightly improved to 943 females per 1000 males, but inequality still persists.
• Recent data (NFHS-5, 2019-21) shows improvement in the overall sex ratio to about 1020 females per 1000 males, but the sex ratio at birth remains low (around 929), highlighting ongoing bias.
• A UNFPA (2020) report estimates that around 45.8 million girls are “missing” in India due to gender-based discrimination before and after birth.
• The issue has been more prevalent in states like Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, and parts of Tamil Nadu, where patriarchal norms are stronger.
• Over time, Female Infanticide has partly shifted to female foeticide (sex-selective abortion) due to misuse of modern technology.

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Causes of Female Infanticide

• Socio-Cultural Factors
  • Preference for Sons: In many families, sons are preferred as they are seen as carriers of family name, lineage, and traditions.
  • Patriarchal System: Society is largely male-dominated, where women have a lower status.
  • Social Beliefs: Daughters are often considered “paraya dhan”, meaning they will leave the family after marriage.
  • Religious Practices: In some traditions, sons are believed to be necessary for performing last rites, increasing their importance.
• Economic Factors
  • Dowry System: Even though banned under the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, dowry still creates a financial burden on families with daughters.
  • Perceived Liability: Girls are often seen as economic liabilities, especially in poor households.
  • Old Age Support: Sons are expected to take care of parents financially, while daughters are not.
  • Poverty: Financial hardship makes families think that raising daughters is costly.
• Educational and Awareness Factors
  • Low Literacy Levels: Lack of education leads to continuation of traditional gender bias.
  • Lack of Awareness: Many people are unaware of legal rights and gender equality principles.
  • Discrimination in Resources: Girls often receive less access to education, healthcare, and nutrition.
• Technological Factors
  • Misuse of Medical Technology: Technologies like ultrasound are illegally used for sex determination before birth.
  • Female Foeticide Link: This has shifted discrimination from after birth (infanticide) to before birth (foeticide).
  • Weak Regulation: Poor enforcement of laws like the PCPNDT Act, 1994 allows such practices to continue in some areas.
• Social Pressure and Safety Concerns
  • Family Pressure: Women often face pressure to give birth to a male child.
  • Fear of Violence: Concerns about harassment, trafficking, and safety of girls affect attitudes.
  • Neglect of Girls: Some families fear that daughters may face discrimination and hardship, leading to negative decisions.
• Structural Inequalities
  • Limited Opportunities for Women: Fewer job and economic opportunities reduce the perceived value of girls.
  • Inheritance Issues: In practice, daughters are often denied equal property rights despite legal provisions.
  • Deep Social Conditioning: Gender bias is passed from one generation to another, making change slow.

Female Infanticide Legal Framework

• Constitutional Provisions
  • The Constitution of India lays the foundation for gender equality.
  • Article 14 ensures equality before law for both men and women.
  • Article 15 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex and allows the state to make special provisions for women and children.
  • Article 21 guarantees the right to life and dignity, which applies equally to every girl child.
  • These provisions show that protecting girls is not just a social need but also a constitutional responsibility.
• Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961
  • This law bans the giving and taking of dowry, which is one of the major reasons behind the preference for sons.
  • It aims to reduce the idea that daughters are a financial burden on families.
  • However, due to social acceptance of dowry in some areas, proper implementation remains a challenge.
• PCPNDT Act, 1994
  • The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act prohibits sex selection before and after conception.
  • It regulates the use of technologies like ultrasound, preventing their misuse for identifying the sex of the fetus.
  • Strict penalties, including fines, imprisonment, and cancellation of medical licenses, are provided for violations.
  • This law plays a key role in controlling female foeticide, which is closely linked to Female Infanticide.
• Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971: This Act allows abortion under certain conditions but strictly prohibits abortion based on the sex of the child. It ensures that medical facilities are not misused for gender-based discrimination.

Government Initiatives to Eradicate Female Infanticide

• Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (BBBP): 
  • Launched with initial funding of ₹100 crore, this scheme is a national initiative to address the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) in India.
  • It is jointly implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and Ministry of Education.
  • The main aim is to improve the survival, protection, and education of the girl child throughout her life cycle.
  • It focuses on multi-sector action in 100 selected districts with low child sex ratio.
  • The scheme spreads awareness about the importance of the girl child and works to improve welfare services for girls.
  • It also supports efforts to prevent female infanticide and discrimination against girls.
  • Local education authorities are required to ensure that girls receive free elementary education and equal opportunities.
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana:
  • This is a small savings scheme launched under the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign to support the financial future of the girl child.
  • It encourages parents to save money for their daughter’s education and marriage expenses in a secure manner.
  • The account can be opened for a girl child below the age of 10 years.
  • A minimum deposit of ₹1,000 is required to start the account, and it can go up to ₹1.5 lakh per year.
  • The account remains active for 14 years, helping long-term savings for the child’s future needs.
  • It also offers tax benefits and attractive interest rates, making it a secure and beneficial investment for families.
• Mission Vatsalya
  • This scheme is designed to protect and support children who are in difficult situations, such as abandoned, orphaned, or neglected girls.
  • It is implemented through Child Care Institutions (CCIs), Child Welfare Committees, and Special Adoption Agencies. These institutions ensure that children, especially girls, get a safe, caring, and protective environment where they can grow properly.
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY)
  • This scheme provides financial support to pregnant and lactating women to improve health and nutrition, while also promoting a positive attitude towards the girl child under Mission Shakti (PMMVY 2.0).
  • A cash assistance of ₹6,000 is given to eligible women, especially when the second child born is a girl. This helps reduce the preference for sons and encourages better care for girls.
• Conditional Cash Transfer Schemes (e.g., Ladli Yojana): These schemes provide financial incentives to families for raising and educating girl children, helping to change attitudes at the grassroots level.
• Role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
  • NGOs like Save the Girl Child and Nanhi Kali work towards spreading awareness, supporting education, and promoting gender equality.
  • They run community outreach programs, especially in rural areas, to educate people and change traditional mindsets.
  • NGOs also act as a bridge between the government and local communities, ensuring better implementation of policies.
• Public Awareness Campaigns
  • Media campaigns, advertisements, and social messages play an important role in challenging gender stereotypes.
  • They promote the idea that girls are equally valuable as boys.
  • Local leaders, teachers, and influencers also help in spreading awareness and discouraging discriminatory practices.

Female Infanticide Impact

Female Infanticide impact on Society and Demographic Imbalances have been discussed below:

• Skewed Sex Ratio and Marriage Imbalance
  • Female Infanticide leads to a declining number of females, resulting in a skewed sex ratio.
  • As per Census 2011, India’s sex ratio was around 940 females per 1000 males, with states like Haryana and Punjab showing severe imbalance.
  • This creates a shortage of women for marriage, leading to delayed marriages, forced marriages, and practices like polyandry.
  • Such imbalance disturbs the natural population structure and family system.
• Rise in Crimes, Trafficking and Exploitation
  • A lower number of women increases crimes such as kidnapping, trafficking, and exploitation.
  • Women are often treated as commodities, especially in regions with severe gender imbalance.
  • The shortage of brides leads to trafficking of girls for marriage and forced labour, violating their basic rights.
  • This results in a cycle of abuse and gender-based violence.
• Psychological, Social and Cultural Impact
  • On Mothers: Women face pressure to give birth to sons or abort female fetuses, causing emotional trauma and mental stress.
  • On Families: Families may experience guilt, social pressure, and emotional imbalance.
  • At the societal level, it leads to a decline in respect for women and weakening of moral values.
  • Over time, gender discrimination becomes socially accepted, affecting future generations.
• Economic Impact and Social Instability
  • A reduced female population lowers women’s participation in the workforce, affecting economic productivity.
  • Gender imbalance hampers inclusive growth and overall development.
  • A large number of unmarried men can lead to frustration, aggression, and social unrest, increasing crime rates.
  • This ultimately disturbs the peace, stability, and balanced development of society.

Difference between Female Infanticide and Foeticide

• Female Foeticide: It refers to the selective termination of a female fetus before birth, after illegally determining its sex through prenatal diagnostic techniques like ultrasound. It is done to avoid the birth of a girl child and is closely linked to misuse of medical technology.
• Female Infanticide: It refers to the intentional killing of a girl child after she is born, usually influenced by deep-rooted social pressures, poverty, dowry concerns, and strong preference for male children.

Female Infanticide  Eradication Challenges

• Deep-rooted son preference: In many parts of society, sons are still preferred due to beliefs that they carry forward the family name and provide support in old age. This long-standing mindset makes it difficult to change attitudes towards the girl child.
• Patriarchal social structure: Society is still largely male-dominated, where women are often given a secondary status. This unequal power structure normalises discrimination against girls.
• Dowry system: Despite being legally banned, dowry practices continue in several areas. This creates a perception that daughters are a financial burden, discouraging their acceptance.
• Weak implementation of laws: Although strict laws like PCPNDT Act exist, poor monitoring, corruption, and lack of awareness reduce their effectiveness, especially in rural regions.
• Misuse of medical technology: Advanced technologies like ultrasound are sometimes misused for illegal sex determination, leading to female foeticide and reinforcing gender bias.
• Low literacy and awareness: Limited education in certain areas results in lack of understanding about gender equality, legal rights, and the importance of the girl child.
• Economic constraints: Poor families often believe that raising a son is economically beneficial, while daughters are seen as a financial burden due to marriage-related expenses.
• Social acceptance of discrimination: In some communities, gender bias is socially accepted and even encouraged, making behavioural change slow and difficult.
• Slow mindset transformation: Even with government campaigns and awareness programs, changing deep-rooted cultural beliefs takes time and consistent effort.

Measures and Way Forward

• Strengthening law enforcement: Strict implementation of laws like the PCPNDT Act, 1994 and Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 is essential to prevent misuse and ensure punishment for offenders.
• Promoting gender equality education: Schools and colleges should teach the importance of equal rights for boys and girls, helping to change social attitudes from an early age.
• Awareness campaigns: Government and NGOs should run continuous campaigns to highlight the value of the girl child and remove harmful stereotypes.
• Improving women’s education: Educating girls increases their independence and reduces discrimination, making them economically and socially empowered.
• Economic support schemes: Schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana should be expanded to reduce financial pressure on families.
• Strict control on misuse of technology: Proper monitoring of ultrasound clinics and medical centres is needed to prevent illegal sex determination practices.
• Community participation: Local leaders, teachers, and community groups should actively promote respect for girls and discourage discriminatory practices.
• Changing social mindset: Long-term change is needed to remove son preference and patriarchal thinking through continuous social reform.
• Improving healthcare and nutrition: Ensuring equal access to healthcare and nutrition for girls helps improve their survival and status in society.
• Empowering women economically: Increasing women’s participation in jobs and decision-making strengthens their position in society and reduces discrimination.