Human Rights & Female Foeticide: Legal Perspective and Its Challenges

Abstract One of the most heinous ways of discrimination against women in a society is through female feticide .Advances in Science and Technology is responsible for the statistic of women’s oppression. Prenatal sex determination followed by selective female foetus abortion is perfect example for the same. There are technologies that prevent the birth of girl child and promote the birth of boy child. Scan centres disclose the sex of the foetus, which is against the law. Sons are preferred over daughters for various social, economic and religious reasons, which include economic liability, lack of safety, fear of family honour, old age security, dowry, prestige and power, property inheritance, financial support, birth and death rituals and beliefs about religious duties. In our civilized society we talk about equality in all spheres, then why is there no right to take birth? There is a need to realize the right of a girl child and to what extent they are being implemented. There is a requirement of strong ethical code of conduct among the medical professionals. There is an urgent need to address the fundamental problem of changing the mindset of the people only then will the regulation of technologies work. Gender selective abortions have to be viewed as a social issue rather than a women issue. Unless the mind of people changes, misuse of medical technologies will continue. The paper underscores the need to safeguard the female foetus from illegal abortion and protect the human rights of the girl child. It is pertinent to note that until and unless this menace is controlled, the country is heading for a catastrophic gender imbalance, which in turn would affect the economic progress of the nation.