Sex Selective Abortion Research Paper
THE CONCORD REVIEW
1
,
SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTION, FEMALE INFANTICIDE,
AND THEIR LASTING EFFECTS IN CHINA AND INDIA
Ayana Gray
Introduction
W
ith a consistency comparable only to the world’s ability to change daily, humanity undergoes evolution. Politically, economically, and particularly socially, changes throughout the contemporary world are unavoidable and, at best, only understood in part. Yet amidst many changes that threaten the global community’s future, demographic changes have caused increasing concern of late. As author Thomas Homer-Dixon notes in his The
Upside of Down: “to understand the destiny of our global society... it is good to start with global demographics.”1 Populations, most notably in impoverished …show more content…
Developing mostly in the late 20th century, sex-selective abortions had also been a luxury limited to those who can afford both the ultrasound checkup and the actual abortion procedure.25 This had caused rates of sex-selective abortion to be markedly lower than those of female infanticide. Aided by globalization and the spread of technology, sexselective abortion has now changed from a luxury to a rather accessible commodity for most of the Indian population; ultrasound checkups cost an estimated US $12.26 Gradually permeating rural areas, portable ultrasounds and doctors willing to practice abortions make ultrasound checkups and sex-selective abortion attainable to even the most impoverished of India. Reportedly 11.2 million illegal abortions occur in India yearly.27 Though realistically they cannot afford it, the lower class of India are investing in these procedures for a reason no better stated than in an advertisement for abortion: “Pay five thousand rupees today (US $110), and save fifty thousand rupees tomorrow.”28 With increased accessibility in more rural areas of India, sex-selective abortion, in coming years, could easily replace the practice of female infanticide. It is a disturbing notion; …show more content…
But as an article in the Economist pointed out this year: “Mao Zedong said ‘women hold up half the sky’, [but if] the world [does not] prevent gendercide...the sky [will soon] come crashing down.”100
THE CONCORD REVIEW
Notes
Thomas Homer Dixon, The Upside of Down
(Washington: Island Press, 2005) p. 61
2
Youth Bulge: A concept defined by author Thomas
Homer Dixon and demographer Eric Zuehike as the expectedly huge impending increase of youth in developing countries in subsequent decades.
3
“Gendercide,” The Economist Newspaper Ltd. (2010)
p. 13
4
Ibid., p. 13
5
Mira Kamdar, Planet India (New York: Scribner Press,
2007) p. 52
6
Ibid., p. 52
7
Homer Dixon, p. 65
8
Kamdar, p. 53
9
“The Worldwide War on Baby Girls,” The Economist
Newspaper Ltd. (2010) p. 77
10
Kamdar, p. 250
11
Population Reference Bureau, Date by
Geography>India>Summary, http://www.prb.org?Datafinder/
Geography/Summary/aspx?region=140®ion_type=2
12
Ibid.
13
Adam Jones, Case Study: Female Infanticide, http://
www.gendercide.org/case_infanticide.html
1
,
SEX-SELECTIVE ABORTION, FEMALE INFANTICIDE,
AND THEIR LASTING EFFECTS IN CHINA AND INDIA
Ayana Gray
Introduction
W
ith a consistency comparable only to the world’s ability to change daily, humanity undergoes evolution. Politically, economically, and particularly socially, changes throughout the contemporary world are unavoidable and, at best, only understood in part. Yet amidst many changes that threaten the global community’s future, demographic changes have caused increasing concern of late. As author Thomas Homer-Dixon notes in his The
Upside of Down: “to understand the destiny of our global society... it is good to start with global demographics.”1 Populations, most notably in impoverished …show more content…
Developing mostly in the late 20th century, sex-selective abortions had also been a luxury limited to those who can afford both the ultrasound checkup and the actual abortion procedure.25 This had caused rates of sex-selective abortion to be markedly lower than those of female infanticide. Aided by globalization and the spread of technology, sexselective abortion has now changed from a luxury to a rather accessible commodity for most of the Indian population; ultrasound checkups cost an estimated US $12.26 Gradually permeating rural areas, portable ultrasounds and doctors willing to practice abortions make ultrasound checkups and sex-selective abortion attainable to even the most impoverished of India. Reportedly 11.2 million illegal abortions occur in India yearly.27 Though realistically they cannot afford it, the lower class of India are investing in these procedures for a reason no better stated than in an advertisement for abortion: “Pay five thousand rupees today (US $110), and save fifty thousand rupees tomorrow.”28 With increased accessibility in more rural areas of India, sex-selective abortion, in coming years, could easily replace the practice of female infanticide. It is a disturbing notion; …show more content…
But as an article in the Economist pointed out this year: “Mao Zedong said ‘women hold up half the sky’, [but if] the world [does not] prevent gendercide...the sky [will soon] come crashing down.”100
THE CONCORD REVIEW
Notes
Thomas Homer Dixon, The Upside of Down
(Washington: Island Press, 2005) p. 61
2
Youth Bulge: A concept defined by author Thomas
Homer Dixon and demographer Eric Zuehike as the expectedly huge impending increase of youth in developing countries in subsequent decades.
3
“Gendercide,” The Economist Newspaper Ltd. (2010)
p. 13
4
Ibid., p. 13
5
Mira Kamdar, Planet India (New York: Scribner Press,
2007) p. 52
6
Ibid., p. 52
7
Homer Dixon, p. 65
8
Kamdar, p. 53
9
“The Worldwide War on Baby Girls,” The Economist
Newspaper Ltd. (2010) p. 77
10
Kamdar, p. 250
11
Population Reference Bureau, Date by
Geography>India>Summary, http://www.prb.org?Datafinder/
Geography/Summary/aspx?region=140®ion_type=2
12
Ibid.
13
Adam Jones, Case Study: Female Infanticide, http://
www.gendercide.org/case_infanticide.html