Save The Girl Child

Save girls, save the girl child, is a campaign in India to end the gender-selective abortion of female foetuses, which has skewed the population towards a significant under-representation of girls in some Indian states. The "Beti Bachao" campaign is supported by human rights groups, non-governmental organisations, and state and local government in India.

Sex-selective abortion or female foeticide has led to a sharp drop in the ratio of girls born in contrast to boy infants in some states in India. Ultrasound technology has made it possible for pregnant women and their families to learn the gender of a foetus early in a pregnancy. Discrimination against girl infants, for several reasons, has combined with the technology to result in a rise in abortions of foetuses identified as female during ultrasound testing.

The trend was first noticed when results of the 1991 national census were released, and it was confirmed to be a worsening problem when results of the 2001 national census were released. The reduction in the female population of certain Indian states continues to worsen, as results of the 2011 national census have shown. It has been observed that the trend is most pronounced in relatively prosperous regions of India.^[1] The dowry system in India is often blamed; the expectation that a large dowry must be provided for daughters in order for them to marry is frequently cited as a major cause for the problem. Pressure for parents to provide large dowries for their daughters is most intense in prosperous states where high standards of living, and modern consumerism, are more prevalent in Indian society.

Rates of female foeticide in Madhya Pradesh are increasing; the rate of live births was 932 girls per 1000 boys in 2001, which dropped to 912 by 2011. It is expected that if this trend continues, by 2021 the number of girls will drop below 900 per 1000 boys.Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi has said in his speech on girl child that “Am Standing Before you as Beggar”. He has launched a nationwide campaign named “Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao” (means Save the Girl Child and Educate Her). This campaign was launched by him to spread awareness in the society against female foeticide as well as women empowerment through education. Here are what our Prime Minister has said in his speech:

• “The prime minister of the country is begging you to save the lives of girls”.
• “In nearby Kurukshetra (in Haryana), a boy called Prince fell into a well, and the whole nation watched the rescue operation on TV. For one Prince, people united to pray, but with so many girls killed we don’t react”.
• “We are not worthy of being called citizens of 21st century. It is as if we are from the 18th century – at that time, and just after a girl’s birth, she was killed . We are worse now, we don’t even allow the girl to be born”.
• “Girls are better performers than boys. If you need proof, just look at exam results”.
• “People want educated daughters-in-law but think several times before educating their daughters. How can this go on?”