INTRODUCTION

The woman 'gave in' centuries ago and she is still ' giving in'. Women started to suffer from the day they developed the gift of feelings and emotions. She is still suffering. Man has come a long way, he has become 'civilized', but this instinct to dominate over the weaker sex has remained, in fact it has turned into an obsession, a need, with time. With 'civilization' the tools of oppression have become more 'civilized', more sophisticated, cultivated, advanced and techno savvy. In fact the whole process of advancement can be traced in the process of suppression of women. It must have started with the need to possess-land, property, women-and to gain control over them. Whoever was powerful got the maximum property, land, and then women may be, to serve him, to 'comfort' him, and to provide him 'satisfaction'. With property must have come the need to control and manage people, the need to rule, and with the need to rule the desire to have power. With power comes the show of power, and what better way could there be to show power than the display of property became a tool to 'show his strength'. With strength came the need to assert strength, to bully the weak, to dispossess them and to become more powerful. With power and power and property greed took root. Not satisfied with what he already had, man wanted more. With the craving to have more, first petty squabbles with neighbors, then bigger conflicts with far off territories, then alliances with neighboring territories must have started. With control of property, the instinct to bully grew leading to unprovoked assaults; attacks on the weak thus starting wars, first small and then on a larger scale. The need to maintain an army must have developed and the feeling of being stronger of the two sexes the importance of being a man. Over the years her physical weakness was exploited to make her psychologically weak as well. Gradually a girl was indoctrinated to feel inferior, not only physically but psychologically, intellectually, and mentally. She was deprived of property rightseither at the very onset or by law slowly dispossessing her completely. Having lost all rights she lost power and with that the right to make decisions. Considered a commodity she could now be exchanged (e.g. by marriage) kept or rejected at will, and got rid of when not required, either by abandoning or later or even murder. Each
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time a man repressed a woman, he justified his action, to appease his conscience and mollify others in the society. First it was a girl or two killed on the sly, then man become bolder and bolder till female infanticide must have become the accepted norm. With the laws coming up against female infanticide, more sophisticated techniques are now sought after. With the availability of ultrasound technology for determining sex of the foetus, a simple and noninvasive technique, the slogan of many ultrasound sex- determination clinics is: "Spend five hundred rupees now save five lacks later" (meaning get a female foetus aborted, to later save dowry money. It is a matter of grave concern that today in India we are discussing a thing like female foeticide. This term in itself envelopes myriads of meanings, it smacks, it smacks of the fact that a) a girl is killed before she is born; b) that sex of a foetus is determined to be that of a female; c) it acknowledges that there is technology privy to this heinous crime; d) there are doctors involved in first determining the sex of the baby, then carrying out abortion: and e) there is crime involved in violating not one but many laws: the Pr Ntal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) 1994 Act, the Section 307 IPC (of attempt to murder ) and along with crime of abetment of murder etc.

REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The deficit of women in Indias population has been documented ever since the first decennial enumeration of people was conducted in the British-occupied parts of India in the late nineteenth Century. Over the span of more than 100 years, the deficit of women has progressively increased as evident from the sex ratio of the population; the number of women per 1000 men more or less steadily declined from 972 in 1901 to 933 in 2001.

Along with China and few other South Asian countries, India exhibits the anomalous phenomenon of deficit of women in the population. These countries share certain features like being patrilineal in social structure, exhibiting strong son preference and where men traditionally enjoy higher social status relative to women.

To fully understand the implications of the deficit of women, it is important to examine the available recent data on sex ratio at birth and if girls are not allowed to be born, it is important to understand why, when, which of the female children and what means are used to avoid having daughters. There is some evidence from hospital births in major cities like Delhi that in recent years the sex ratio at birth has become more masculine (Raju and Premi, 1992). Some evidence of sex ratio at birth becoming increasingly masculine is also available from the recent sample registration surveys (SRS) and the National Sample Survey (NSS) as well as the two National Family Health Survey (NFHS) conducted in the 1990s. All these surveys have reported around 110 boys per 100 girls at birth or at age 0.

In a study conducted by the Christian Medical Association of India anlaysing the sex ratio at birth of hospitalized deliveries during 2000-2001 in Delhi indicated that if the first birth was a male child, the female to male sex ratio of the second birth was 959. But if the first birth was a female child, the sex ratio of the second birth was 542. Among the women who had delivered two daughters, the sex ratio of the third birth dropped to 219 (Literacy and Population Newsletter, 2005). These are clearly not chance occurrences.

a. The Ultimate Sexual Discrimination: Female feticide

The abortion mentality has finally presented Neo-feminists with an ethical Gordian Knot. The shrill and relentless insistence of the NARAL and NOW types for abortion on demand for any reason has inevitably led to convenience abortions on a massive scale. And perhaps the ultimate in 'convenience abortions' is the selective killing of perfectly healthy unborn women solely because of their sex in other words, the ultimate sexual discrimination has been brought about by the Neo-feminists themselves.

Syndicated columnist Mona Charen has correctly pointed out that "Abortion on demand has given birth to boys on demand."[Syndicated columnist Mona Charen. "Sex-Selected Abortions Hard to Defend." The Oregonian, January 6, 1989, page B5.] The irony of this situation has not been lost on pro-lifer activists, who secretly smile as they watch NOW, NARAL, and other pro-abortion groups futilely attempt to untangle themselves from this insoluble dilemma.

b. The Background of Sex Selective Abortions

In 1973, American abortion pushers achieved victory beyond their wildest dreams abortion on demand for any reason whatever, and unlimited Federally-funded free abortions for poor women. At this time, only 1% of geneticists believed that abortion for sex selection was morally acceptable, and this small minority generally kept their opinions to themselves for obvious reasons. Abortion for selection of the baby's sex was recognized and criticized by many doctors even before the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision of 1973. [Eve Glicksman. "Breeding for Gender Encourages 'Shopping Mentality.'" The Oregonian, June 18, 1991, page B7. ]

By 1988, the number of geneticists approving of sex-selection abortions had jumped to 20%, and this trend shows no signs of abating.

c. India going gender awry

While in the rest of the world, women outnumber men by 3 to 5%, in India there are seven per cent more men than women and the number of females continues to decline, says a new book. Neither education nor affluence has brought any significant change in the attitudes towards women. In fact, the increase in the deficit of young girls noticed in the 1981, 1991 and 2001 censuses was indicative of a strong possibility that the traditional methods of neglect of female children were being increasingly replaced by not allowing female children to be born, the book, Sexselective Abortion in India. Gender, Society and New Reproductive Technologies, says.

The sex ratio figure in 1921 of 972 women in India for every 1000 men and its decline to 933 in 2001 questions the relationship between social development and sex ratio, the book edited by Tulsi Patel, a Professor in Sociology at the Delhi School of Economics, says. In 80% of Indias districts, a higher proportion of boys are born every year than a decade ago as a result of the growing availability of fetal sex- testing services, the study showed. The imbalance in gender ratio has become especially noticeable in the Indias wealthier regions, where couples can easily afford to pay for an ultrasound examination. The Indian government expressed alarm at the report, describing the results as unexpected.

The Unicef findings are based on an analysis of Indian census data and are in line with a study published by the British medical journal The Lancet earlier this year, which estimated that as many as 10 million female fetuses had been aborted in India over the past 20 years by families trying to secure a male heir. Even after birth, girls are at much higher risk of childhood death than boys. Female babies are less likely to survive the first year than their male counterparts, according to Unicefs infant mortality research.

After birth, son-preference continues to persist leading to the neglect of girls and their lack of access to nutrition, health and maternal care in these critical early years, the report said.

In India, girls continue to be regarded as liabilities who saddle their parents with the costs of expensive weddings and dowry payments, before moving to live with their husbands family.

Boys are preferred because, traditionally, they remain in the family home to look after the parents in their old age. Neither laws nor the governments Save the Girl Child campaign have had much impact in changing these perceptions. (Unicef, 2007).

DATA COLLECTION METHODS

Data Collection is an important aspect of any type of research study. Inaccurate data collection can impact the results of a study and ultimately lead to invalid results. Data collection methods for impact evaluation vary along a continuum. At the one end of this continuum are quantitative methods and at the other end of the continuum are Qualitative methods for data collection .

Quantitative and Qualitative Data collection methods

The Quantitative data collection methods rely on random sampling and structured data collection instruments that fit diverse experiences into predetermined response categories. They produce results that are easy to summarize, compare, and generalize. Quantitative research is concerned with testing hypotheses derived from theory and/or being able to estimate the size of a phenomenon of interest. Depending on the research question, participants may be randomly assigned to different treatments. If this is not feasible, the researcher may collect data on participant and situational characteristics in order to statistically control for their influence on the dependent, or outcome, variable. If the intent is to generalize from the research participants to a larger population, the researcher will employ probability sampling to select participants. Typical quantitative data gathering strategies include:

Experiments/clinical trials. Observing and recording well-defined events (e.g., counting the number of patients waiting in emergency at specified times of the day).

Obtaining relevant data from management information systems. Administering surveys with closed-ended questions (e.g., face-to face and telephone interviews, questionnaires etc).

Interviews In Quantitative research (survey research),interviews are more structured than in Qualitative research.
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In a structured interview, the researcher asks a standard set of questions and nothing more. Face -to -face interviews have a distinct advantage of enabling the researcher to establish rapport with potential participants and therefore gain their cooperation. These interviews yield highest response rates in survey research. They also allow the researcher to clarify ambiguous answers and when appropriate, seek follow-up information. Disadvantages include impractical when large samples are involved time consuming and expensive. Telephone interviews are less time consuming and less expensive and the researcher has ready access to anyone on the planet who has a telephone. Disadvantages are that the response rate is not as high as the face-to- face interview but considerably higher than the mailed questionnaire. The sample may be biased to the extent that people without phones are part of the population about whom the researcher wants to draw inferences. Computer Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI): is a form of personal interviewing, but instead of completing a questionnaire, the interviewer brings along a laptop or hand-held computer to enter the information directly into the database. This method saves time involved in processing the data, as well as saving the interviewer from carrying around hundreds of questionnaires. However, this type of data collection method can be expensive to set up and requires that interviewers have computer and typing skills. Questionnaires Paper-pencil-questionnaires can be sent to a large number of people and saves the researcher time and money. People are more truthful while responding to the questionnaires regarding controversial issues in particular due to the fact that their responses are anonymous. But they also have drawbacks. Majority of the people who receive questionnaires don't return them and those who do might not be representative of the originally selected sample. Web based questionnaires: A new and inevitably growing methodology is the use of Internet based research. This would mean receiving an e-mail on which you would
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click on an address that would take you to a secure web-site to fill in a questionnaire. This type of research is often quicker and less detailed. Some disadvantages of this method include the exclusion of people who do not have a computer or are unable to access a computer. Also the validity of such surveys are in question as people might be in a hurry to complete it and so might not give accurate responses. ( Questionnaires often make use of Checklist and rating scales. These devices help simplify and quantify people's behaviors and attitudes. A checklist is a list of behaviors,characteristics,or other entities that te researcher is looking for. Either the researcher or survey participant simply checks whether each item on the list is observed, present or true or vice versa. A rating scale is more useful when a behavior needs to be evaluated on a continuum. They are also known as Likert scales.

Qualitative data collection methods play an important role in impact evaluation by providing information useful to understand the processes behind observed results and assess changes in peoples perceptions of their well-being. Furthermore qualitative methods can to improve the quality of survey-based quantitative evaluations by helping generate evaluation hypothesis; strengthening the design of survey questionnaires and expanding or clarifying quantitative evaluation findings. These methods are characterized by the following attributes:

they tend to be open-ended and have less structured protocols (i.e., researchers may change the data collection strategy by adding, refining, or dropping techniques or informants)

they rely more heavily on interactive interviews; respondents may be interviewed several times to follow up on a particular issue, clarify concepts or check the reliability of data

they use triangulation to increase the credibility of their findings (i.e., researchers rely on multiple data collection methods to check the authenticity of their results)

generally their findings are not generalizable to any specific population, rather each case study produces a single piece of evidence that can be used to seek general patterns among different studies of the same issue
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Regardless of the kinds of data involved, data collection in a qualitative study takes a great deal of time. The researcher needs to record any potentially useful data thououghly,accurately, and systematically, using field notes,sketches,audiotapes,photographs and other suitable means. The data collection methods must observe the ethical principles of research. The qualitative methods most commonly used in evaluation can be classified in three broad categories:

in-depth interview observation methods document review

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION The process by which sense and meaning are made of the data gathered in qualitative research, and by which the emergent knowledge is applied to clients' problems. This data often takes the form of records of group discussions and interviews, but is not limited to this. Through processes of revisiting and immersion in the data, and through complex activities of structuring, re-framing or otherwise exploring it, the researcher looks for patterns and insights relevant to the key research issues and uses these to address the client's brief.

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FEMALE FOETICIDE
Female foeticide is a process of aborting perfectly healthy female foetuses after about 18 weeks (or more) of gestation just because they are females. The same foetuses would've been allowed to live if they were males. There is no question that female foeticide is not just unethical but it is downright cruel as well. Despite a law banning sex selective abortion is in force for a decade, as many as half a million female foetuses are aborted each year in the country. Gender discrimination in our society is so entrenched, that it begins even before a girl is born. Baby girls are throttled, poisoned or drowned in a bucket of water. A baby girl tied in polythene bag and dumped in a public dustbin left to be torn away by wild stray dogs. An incident that took place nowhere else but in the very capital of our country. To cite a couple of more examples, of many, the recovery of pieces of bones of newly born female fetuses from a hospital backyard in Ratlam district of Madhya Pradesh in February 2008. And bodies of more than 100 fetuses found outside an abortion clinic in Pattran town in Punjab in August last year were both deplorable. Though India has a history of skewed female sex ratio, what the country is witnessing today is the systematic extermination of the female child, with the ultrasound machine serving as an instrument of murder. Clinics offering ultrasound scanning facility have mushroomed throughout the country, and despite making pre-natal sex determination a penal offence, doctors and parents alike rampantly violate this law. A survey in Maharashtra showed that an alarming 95% of the amniocentesis scans were being carried out for sex determination.

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AMNIOCENTESIS
Amniocentesis first started in India in 1974 as a part of a sample survey conducted at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to detect foetal abnormalities. These tests were later stopped by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), but their value had leaked out by then and 1979 saw the first sex determination clinic opening in Amritsar, Punjab. Even though women organizations across the country took up cudgels to put a stop to this new menace, but were helpless because of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act. This is because the amniocentesis test was claimed to be used for detection of foetal abnormalities, which were permitted by the MTP Act. According to the MTP Act, if any abnormality is detected between 12 to 18 weeks of gestational period in the foetus, an abortion can be legally carried out up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.

ENFORCE THE BAN OF SEX DETERMINATION TEST PNDT ACT 1994 THE Supreme Court's directive to the government to implement the provisions of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act banning sex determination tests and sex selection to prevent female foeticide is timely. The court has been closely monitoring the implementation of its various

orders passed since May, 2001, regarding the ban on the use of ultrasound scanners for conducting such tests. Subsequently, It had sought status reports from all states and Union Territories. It had ordered compulsory registration of all diagnostic centers across the country. There was impasse in Parliament over the Bill on sex determination tests. The Indian Radiologists Association wanted a clear distinction between clinics, which were engaged in diagnosis for gynecological purposes, and those for non-gynecological purposes such as kidney and liver problems. Parliament finally passed the Bill. Wednesday's directive reflects the Supreme Court's desire to enforce the Act with a sense of urgency. However, doubts are bound to the raised on the effectiveness of the legislation as the issue mainly relates to people's attitudes and preferences. The desire for a son, for instance, is deep-rooted in both rural and urban areas. The problem of dowry and the
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choice of a son for social security have also contributed to the malady. However, these have led to serious gender discrimination and adverse demographic implications in many states. For instance, according to an estimate, parts of Haryana have witnessed a dip in sex ratio 618 girls for 1,000 boys. On the whole, while the national sex ratio is 933 per 1,000 men, in Haryana, Punjab, Chandigarh and Delhi, it is below 900. This shows that the menace has reached alarming proportions even in urban areas. The Act prohibits determination and disclosure of the sex of foetus. It also prohibits any advertisements relating to pre-natal determination of sex. Following the apex court's orders earlier, appropriate authorities with powers of civil court have been appointed. These were empowered to prosecute the clinics and the doctors if they used ultrasound technique for sex determination. A committee has also been constituted at the national level to monitor the enforcement of the Act through field visits. However welcome these provisions are, legislation alone will not help check female foeticide. What is of utmost importance is a change in the people's attitude. The preference for a son must go if the larger problem of female foeticide is to be tackled.

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REASON FOR FEMALE FOETICIDE 1. Socio cultural fabric of society :

The basic reason for the skewed sex ration in the state of Punjab lies in the sociocultural fabric of its society. Since time immemorial, the son is preferred over a daughter because of various socio-cultural values, traditions and views which are by and large, averse to the female. The institution of patriarchy has assigned genderspecific roles. For instance, the sons are charged with the responsibility to carry on the family name, to support parents in the old aged and after death it is the duty of the son to perform funeral rites. Such views held by the society lead to persistent discrimination against the girls and women. Family pride has been associated with having a son and not a daughter.

2. Importance of having a Son in the Family:

The predominant system of patriarchal traditions and customs legitimizes and propels the desire for sons. In the present study also, the reasons, for attaching importance to having a son were mainly traditional than economic. Across all age groups, the preference of a son consistently prevailed. Among the major reason attributed to the importance of a son in the family were that a son is the one in the family who carries forward the family name. The son in the family has to take the responsibility of caring and looking after the parents in the old age. The son is also important because he inherits all parental property in his name. Although there is equality with regard to inheritance of parental property in the books of law but in actual practice, the girls still lack access to the ownership rights in the state.

3. Dowry:
Main reason for discrimination against the girl-child is the practice of dowry of late, the giving and taking of dowry has become a matter of prestige. Marrying a daughter is a big problem. There are instances where the parents took loan for marrying their daughter in a so-called "status family". The respondents reiterated their concern by
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saying that it is the dowry which is the genesis of all other problems. Coming up of big marriage palaces on the road side in Punjab is an indicator of the amount of money involved in marriages.

4. Stereo types prejudices :

Second reason related to the social stereo types and prejudices which are adverse to the female in the society. Girls are considered physically weaker than the boys in almost all households in the daily life activities and therefore they are viewed as inferior than the boys. Girls are discriminated because they are considered as liability on the parents as they do not add to the family income in any manner. It is due to the fact that they leave their parental's house after marriage. So the parents feel that even if they are educated, they will not be an assets to the parent' family.

5. Sexual harassment and Exploitation:

Tremendous fear and insecurity among the parents regarding their proneness to

sexual harassment and exploitation. It is because chastity and purity of a girl is matter related with the honour of the family. If a girl is raped or gets involved in a love affair, then there have been instances where parents even killed the girl to save the honour of the family. In most of such cases, the killings are done in a clandestine manner and don't come to the media every time.

6. Social Rituals performed by the boys Alone :

In a patriarchal and patri-lineal society, assignment of gender-specific roles is very rigid. There are clear-cut responsibilities and expectations based on gender. For instance, the sons are charged with the responsibility of carrying on the family name whereas the girls are to look after the children and the kitchen affairs. In day-to-day life too, there are many gender-specific rituals
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CONSEQUENCES OF FEMALE FOETICIDE

The demographic imbalance where woman is vanishing seems to be resulting in horrendous social disaster. A survey in Haryana has shown many social problems associated with declining sex ratio in the State. Girls are being purchased from the poorer States on low price for the boys, though purchased wives are not accepted very happily. They are taken as bonded labour. There is all likelihood that the shortage of women will distort society as the crime against women will increase and the institution of family will be highly disturbed. So there is need for strong efforts to make girls as assets for the society. Only the demographic balance can maintain the balance of society. The evil of female foeticide is tarnishing the image of Punjab. Different kinds of negative reflections are being noted in different parts of this region. Some of these consequences are listed below:

1.WOMEN'S HEALTH
There are women who have to undergo numerous abortions in hopes of getting a son at the risk of not being able to conceive again. They have even higher chances of being abused and abandoned by their husbands and families once they cannot conceive and haven't even produced a son. Some women don't have the financial means to consult qualified physicians, so they settle for quacks who are available in plenty, and thus endanger their health immensely. There are reports of these quacks prescribing testosterone to women who want a male child resulting in increase in cases of cancer among women and the birth of eunuchs. In addition to that, emotional and mental strain that a woman goes through is not considered important at all.

2. WOMEN BEING TRAFFICKED

Stories of women being bought from the poor regions of the country for men who can't find themselves brides in the affluent parts affected by adverse sex-ratio are already making news. There are also news of women being bought and abandoned or sent to another man once they have produced a son.Long distance brides are being

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bought from a completely different culture and are forced to adjust to their new homes with new culture, new language, and far away from their families.

3. WOMEN BEING ABUSED AND SEXUALLY EXPLOITED Although it is invariably happening already, incidences of young girls (children) as well as older women being raped and forced into polygamy are to see a leap in numbers if the current trends of mass extinction of the female gender continues at the same pace.

4. SUICIDE RATES IN WOMEN WILL INCREASE.

Their psychological health will suffer. Their physical health will suffer. In short, the female gender is doomed if we don't do anything about fixing the problem we have at hand.

5. VIOLENCE AMONGST MEN

With a lack of proper family institution at home, men are bound to resort to aggressive means to expend their energy when they are not busy making money or beating women they bought because they couldn't give them sons in the first go.

6. EFFECT ON HEALTH
Abortion is one of the leading causes of material mortality and contributes significantly to maternal morbidity. Accessibility to safe and legal abortion is important for women's survival and reproductive health and is considered as a reproductive right of every woman and therefore a human right. Preference for particular sex often disturbs' the couples' reproductive behavior depending upon the socio-cultural pattern. In certain area, a wife who does not produce a male child is called Kulachhani destroyer of the family, since the family name will not be carried forward. Desire for a son incites women to get the female foetus aborted time and

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again and that has quite negative effects on their health. And in this way, the civilization will go centuries back in the history of marriage.

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SUGESTION TO CURE FEMALE FOETICIDE 1. MAKING THE LAW MORE EFFECTIVE

The law relating to abortions and pre-natal sex-determination can be made more effective by involving the society in the process of its administration and implementation. There is a need for generating awareness in the people so that they realize their responsibility of ensuring parity in the sex ratio. The role of Community Based Organizations (CBOs) can be very important because these organizations can help involve the community members/ volunteers more effectively to act as watchdogs. The Act must make it mandatory to have vigilance committees at the village level. These vigilance committees must be consisted of village women, girls, youth and other volunteers. The ultrasound should be done only on the recommendations of the member/(s) of vigilance committees. The rules regarding how these committees members and other local bodies like Panchayati Raj Institution, Mothers-Teachers, Associations, Parents-Teachers Associations, Village Education Development Committees and other Civil Society Organizations. These bodies can ensure a social audit of the pregnancies and births at the village level.

2. ROLE OF INDIVIDUALS/ORGANIZATIONS
The problems and status of the girl child can be improved if the government, the medical professionals, religious and community leaders, Non-Government

Organizations (NGO's) and other stakeholders join hands. The people and the NGOs can report specific cases of female foeticides to the police and other law-enforcement agencies. The religious leaders along with the community leaders can also work towards raising the level of consciousness of the women apart from counseling the expectant mothers and other family members. The government can start more and more girl-friendly schemes which could provide monetary incentives to the parents of the girl child. Government must also work to improve the existing infrastructure to ensure better access of women to education, health and economic resources. A combined effort at family, individual, community and State level can certainly help improve the existing situation.

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The efforts done by Voluntary Health Association of Punjab (VHAP) have been laudable. VHAP has been working at the grass-root levels to sensitize people against the growing trend of female foeticide since early 1990s. The organization has been organizing seminars, holding meeting, having consultation and counseling people ever since. VHAP also has started advocacy campaign with the media. It is due to the pursuance of VHAP that the Akal Takht issued a Hukamnama on 18 April 2001 calling upon the Sikhs not to kill their daughters.

3. ROLE OF RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION

The members of the society and the religious leaders definitely have a positive role in creating a morally reformed society. These people can help foster a culture of goodness and human dignity. If apex religious organizations take stern action against those who violate their dictates, a radical social change could some about.

4. ROLE OF THE GOVERNMENT

The government must ensure adequate and effective implementation of the PNDT Act, 1994. Enforcement of related laws like the Child Marriage Restraint

(Amendment) Act, 1976, the Dowry Prevention Act, 1961, the Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and other family laws is very important. Effective implementation of laws relating to guaranteeing equal rights of ownership and inheritance to the female is equally important. The government must create gender and right based population policies and programmes that could provide cash incentives to families having girl children. The government must also implement a wide range of programmes for education and child care at the community level. High priority must be placed on increasing access to primary education and increased access to women and girls to wage-employment, land and productive resources. By undertaking these and many more girl-friendly initiative, the government can address the issue of sex-selection in a more meaningful way.

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5. ROLE OF NGOs
More than three fifth (66.33%) respondents held the view that the efforts of the government cannot yield intended results unless there is participation and collaboration of NGOs at the community level. The implementation and effectiveness of social legislations depend more on people than the law-enforcing agencies. The respondents, thus, suggested that the NGOs must work towards proper and effective implementation of the social welfare legislations particularly the laws relating the welfare of the girl-child. Another important collaborative effort to be performed by the NGOs is to help the administration to catch and punish the culprits. A little less than one-third (29.47%) respondents suggested that the people organizations must work to highlight the employment opportunities for the girl child. It is because the sex selection phenomenon is also related to the economic factors like employment and job opportunities for the girls. The study brings out various other roles of the Role of NGO's viz., empowering and educating women (63.34%) and generating awareness at the community level

(58.33). The respondents in the sample suggested that the NGO's have an important role in sensitizing the media(13.34%) and exercise issued based advocacy (18.34%) (Table 4.41) Since most of the NGO's are community based they can indeed help root out this evil more effectively.

6. PUNISHMENT FOR PARENTS AND DOCTORS

Government should punish those doctors and the parents who are found involved in tests done for knowing the sex of the foetus. The medical ethics and code of conduct regarding such business-oriented trading needs a review and stringent legislation with sufficient sanctions, so as to check such unethical malpractices which have been actively responding to consumerism and the culture of demand and supply. Punjab can also emulate State or Rajasthan, where already such tests are banned. Further, the case of Haryana can be an example in this context. Haryana Government has announced the year 2006 as the year of girl child. It has taken certain steps to enhance
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the status of girls such as providing economic incentives to the parents of the girl children and also to the Panchayats who have ensured the improvement in the sex ratio of the girls in their respective villages. Haryana is the first State which has punished a doctor indulging in this practice.

8. STRINGENT ACTION FOR THE BREAKERS OF DOWRY ACT.

Generally dowry is taken as a positive evil of great magnititude. It is generally qualified as a harmless and laudable practice of giving and exchanging gifts in India. Today, this custom has become quit heinous. In order to avoid the marital and postmartial issue of economic demand related with girls, traditionally Punjabis used to indulge in the practice of infanticide and now in female foeticide. Some studies reveal the direct link between infanticide and female foeticide. Eastern States of India are free from the evil of dowry system and women are having better status there as compared to Northern States. So, stringent action must be taken by the Government against those who ask for and give dowry.

9. LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THOSE WHO USE ABUSIVE LANGUAGE FOR WOMEN
A person using abusive language for women should be severely punished or fined in order to create the healthy environment for civil society where men and women can enjoy equal rights. There should be check on the language used for women. It should never be derogatory or violent. In this connection, enactment of Crime Against Women Act, 2005 by the Parliament is a right step in the right direction.

10. ROLE OF POLICE

The role of police is to uncover law violations and to bring to book those people who threaten the social order. It is up to them to identify an act as crime. The role of police is very important as far the cases concerning cruelties on women are concerned. Each case is to be registered and investigated by police and later 'challans' are to be put up in the court. Unfortunately, so far the role of police has been found to be very poor in this regard.

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Environment is not safe for the girls. Available data show that there is a rape case every minute, eve-teasing every three minute and dowry death every three minutes. It may or may not be exaggeration. But it is clear as media depicts that girls are not safe in Punjab and similar is the opinion of most of the respondents. So the Police control supported by community control can create the environment, where the girls/women with dignity can breathe freely and can contribute to the building of nation.

11. ROLE OF MEDIA

Old myths have to be shattered such as women just 'gossip', they 'do not work'. Various studies conducted in corporate sector show that woman as managers are more in demand than even men. For example, a study conducted in U.S.A. which covers a variety of organizations-industry, military, education, healthcare etc. has proved that women are transformational leaders, they can provide more vision, they have a sense of mission, encourage participation, inspire and empower their people. On the contrary, men have transactional leadership strive which is mainly concerned with exchanging rewards and punishment for performance. They generally try to use their organizational position for personal benefits (Malhotra, Minakshi : 2001). Similarly, in the corporate sector also, women are more in demand.

12. HIGHLIGHTING GENDER VIOLENCE

There is a need to sensitize the community to issues relating to gender justice and women's development. The programmes initiated under the policy of controlling female foeticide needs to ensure sensitization to all forms of deprivation, discrimination and atrocities. Socialization under the norms and values of patriarchy makes certain forms of injustice invisible. Thus inculcation of the value of male child preference through traditional methods is invisible and not perceived as denial of right to life or as a violence against the female gender. This surreptitious covering of the male supremacy be highlighted in the interest of larger community.

13. EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES

Spread of Knowledge will automatically bring awareness among people. Human rights education should be included in schools, colleges and universities curriculum. At the same time, sabhas, seminars and public awareness meetings should be organized to educate the people about human rights.
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Sex is basically biological while gender is social construct, beginning from the birth. Gender-based discrimination, sex related abortions, blaming women for birth outcome, female infanticide, discriminating women in food intake and education, depriving women of positions of power, the practice of child prostitution, marital rape, gender based discrimination continues to affect women throughout life. Hence there I s need to educate the masses for creating a civilized society. All the time, traditional feminity should not be reinforced in the educational and academic programmes.

14. NEED TO EMPOWER THE WOMEN

Empowerment refers to "the process by which the powerless gain greater control over the circumstances of their lives." It means not only greater control over the

circumstances of their lives, but in different spheres of society, as the figure 4.1 shows. Amartya Sen (2000) is also of the view that women's education, employment and empowerment are perhaps the best means not only to have an effective check on population growth, but also to ensure gender equity, both within and without the household. The country should have sophisticated legislative and administrative machinery for safeguarding the human rights. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) could

prove instrumental is carrying out this mission successfully. These organizations can be utilized in appropriate manners so that the awareness of human rights could spread at a faster pace. The National Human Rights Commission and State Human Rights Commission have been formed to look into the complaints of victims pertaining to violation of human rights. It can also intervene in the cases of under-trial and convicted female prisoners with a view to protecting them against violation of human rights.

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THE MORE THEY CHANGE, THE MORE THEY REMAIN THE SAME
attitudes towards girl-child, Dr. Harshinder Kaur, female feticide in Punjab, female-to-male sex ratio in Punjab Another study in Punjab surveying the attitudes of young couples regarding girl-child is in the news. The study was conducted by Dr. Harshinder Kaur, (who many will recognize for her drive against female-feticide in Punjab, her book made into a movie, her talks across the globe and at the UN on this topic, and her struggles with the administration in her native state of Punjab, and who is now serving as the deputy medical superintendent of Rajinder Hospital in Patiala. Ah well before this post becomes a post on Dr. Harshinder Kaur - I will dedicate one to her soon let me get back to the study). The study interviewed 3000 couples across different villages in Punjab. Here are some highlights of the results of the study as reported in the Times of India:

37% of the couples said they only wanted a male child and if they had one they would not want to have a second child.

11% said they would have a second child if they had a daughter as their first child, but would not go for a second child if they have a son as their first child.

2% categorically stated that they wanted only a male child at any cost. The percentage of couples happy with having only a female child is only 3%. As per the article, another interesting fact, which came to light, is that the rich were more interested in having only a son compared to the poor. Many rich couples openly said they didnt want a female child, while among the poor, only one couple said no to a female child even as the remaining 70 couples said they accepted the girl child as a gift of god. Comparing the results of this study with the one she had conducted in 2008, and also with several studies others have conducted over the past decades, the one thing that can be sadly concluded is that the attitudes towards the girl child have not changed. People visiting Punjab after a long time often carry with them the image of how much things have changed over time. However, some things, the more they change, the more they remain same.
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STATE WISE SEX RATIO IN INDIA IN 2011 COMPARED WITH 2001 CENSUS

In 2011 male female sex ratio in India is 940, that means there are 940 females per 1000 males in the country. If reversed it is 1063 males per 1000 females. Children under 6 years of age has a ratio of 944 females per 1000 males. India ranks number 21 for male per female sex ratio in the World. Some countries like UAE and Quatar has double number of males than females. In 2001 sex ratio in India was 933 females per 1000 males. During the last decade sex ratio in India has increased 0.75% and it is still not satisfied. Top five states with highest female sex ratio in India are 1. Kerala has the highest sex ratio of 1084 female per 1000 male. 2. Puducherry(U/T) has a sex ratio of 1038 female per 1000 male. 3. Tamil Nadu has a sex ratio of 995 female per 1000 male. 4. Andhra Pradesh has a sex ratio of 922 female per 1000 male. 5. Chhattisgarh has a sex ratio of 991 female per 1000 male. Bottom five states with highest female sex ratio in India are 4 of bottom five are 4 union territories and that includes Delhi at number four. 1. Daman in Daman & Diu(U/T) has the lowest sex ratio of only 618 females per 1000 male. 2. Dadra & Nagar Haveli another union territory also has a very low sex ratio of 775 female per 1000 male. 3. Chandigarh has a sex ratio of 818 female per 1000 male. 4. NCT of Delhi has a sex ratio of 866 female per 1000 male. 5. Haryana has a sex ratio of 877 female per 1000 male. There have been some huge negative changes of female sex ratio in states like Daman Diu and Dara & Nagar Haveli. Sex ratio dropped 12.96% during last decade in Daman Diu and 4.56% in Dadra Nagar Haveli. Jammu & Kashmir also has a nagetive change of 1.01%. Though Delhi has a positive change of 5.48% in female sex ratio but it is still in the bottom five list. Chandigarh also shows some improvement of 5.28% from
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last census. Female sex ratio increased about 4% in states like Mizoram, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and some other.

State wise Sex Ratio in India in 2011 compared with 2001 census

Code

States/Union Territory #

Total 2001

Total 2011

Change

INDIA

933

940

0.75%

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

Jammu & Kashmir Himachal Pradesh Punjab Chandigarh # Uttarakhand Haryana NCT of Delhi # Rajasthan Uttar Pradesh Bihar Sikkim Arunachal Pradesh Nagaland Manipur Mizoram Tripura Meghalaya

892 968 876 777 962 861 821 921 898 919 875 893 900 974 935 948 972

883 974 893 818 963 877 866 926 908 916 889 920 931 987 975 961 986

-1.01% 0.62% 1.94% 5.28% 0.10% 1.86% 5.48% 0.54% 1.11% -0.33% 1.60% 3.02% 3.44% 1.33% 4.28% 1.37% 1.44%

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Code

States/Union Territory #

Total 2001

Total 2011

Change

18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35

Assam West Bengal Jharkhand Orissa Chhattisgarh Madhya Pradesh Gujarat Daman & Diu # Dadra & Nagar Haveli # Maharashtra Andhra Pradesh Karnataka Goa Lakshadweep # Kerala Tamil Nadu Puducherry # Andaman & Nicobar Islands #

935 934 941 972 989 919 920 710 812 922 978 965 961 948 1058 987 1001 846

954 947 947 978 991 930 918 618 775 925 992 968 968 946 1084 995 1038 878

2.03% 1.39% 0.64% 0.62% 0.20% 1.20% -0.22% -12.96% -4.56% 0.33% 1.43% 0.31% 0.73% -0.21% 2.46% 0.81% 3.70% 3.78%

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CASE I
Crime Petrol Fights Against Female Foeticide in India on Sony TV
Sony Entertainment Television raises a voice against female foeticide in India through Crime Petrol. The Show exposes a case of female foeticide in India through its recent episode.

Recent episode of Crime Petrol on Sony TV is introduced by Anoop Soni. It was the case of Pune, Maharashtra. The Show investigates a case of female foeticide racket in India. The case is introduced in the form of a story.

The episode of Crime Petrol begins from Tasgaon village from Sangli district, Pune. Malikkas father-in-law talks Dr. Jagdish R. Sashtri about her pregnancy. He sends his son and daughter-in-law to the doctor.

Dr. Sashtri checks up her pregnancy and writes 19 over her report. Malikka sees many women there. She sees only two types of report there 19 and 16. Malikkas husband is asked to submit Rs. 40,000. Report with number 16 had to submit only Rs. 10,000. Malikkas baby is abort there. It was a female baby in her stomach. She throws out the baby in a river packing in a plastic bag. Some villagers see her.

One day, some women of the village see a plastic bag with an infant. They tell others. Now, villagers were confirmed about the plastic bag. The villagers call the cop. Now, an investigation begins.

Inspector Shekhar takes a charge to look into the matter. He sends some plastic bags with the infants to the lab. Now, the case was very clear. He knew that it is the case of female foeticide after the report of lab.

He thinks to search all the gynecologist and maternity centres for it. But the lady of the lab suggests him to find out the medical stores first. She asks to search an oil of
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pregnancy abortion. The cops do same. Soon, they find a large number of abortion oil. They knew that it was the store of Dr. Sashtri Jagdish. Cops visit Sashtris hospital. They find some abortion cases also. They arrest him. But soon, he comes out calling his advocate.

Now, the cop gets information about Malikka. Cops reach there and asked about her abortion. But she denies telling anything. In the mid, Shekhar receives a call about some evidence. She had produced a voice stream against Dr. Sashtri. She tells about number 16 and 19 also. 6 was the indication of boy and 9 was the number for a girl. She told that Dr. Sashtri is a powerful man. He is beyond the law.

Now, cops had no way to arrest Dr. Sashtri except Malikka. In the mid, Malikka comes and tells the whole situation of her abortion. Now, Dr. Sashtri is arrested and sent to the magistrate custody.

Crime Petrol on Sony TV tries to make aware us about the law against female foeticide in India.

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CASE II
Female foeticide in Punjab
A case of female foeticide from Fatehgarh Sahib district in Punjab and a two-day consultation on foeticide in the State underline the need to tackle the menace in full swing. T.K. RAJALAKSHMI in Chandigarh and Fatehgarh Sahib THERE is a mood of disquiet in Kale Majra village in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib district. A little over 50 km from Chandigarh which represents a modern city of the 21st century, Fatehgarh Sahib has the dubious distinction of being the district with the lowest juvenile sex ratio in the country. The mood is even more gloomy today in the house of Gurmeet Singh and his brothers. In March, Gurmeet Singh's wife Surinder Kaur and his sister-in-law Devender Kaur were arrested by the police on charges of aborting a female foetus. They were both charged under Section 312 and 120 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. The provisions of the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 have not been invoked. A staff nurse who allegedly performed the abortion was booked under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, 1971. T.K. RAJALAKSHMI Surinder Kaur, who stands accused of foeticide, at home in Kale Majra village of Fatehgarh district, with her three-year-old daughter and husband Gurmeet Singh. No action has been taken against a diagnostic centre that is allegedly involved. The sections that can be invoked here include Section 5(2) which prohibits any person conducting pre-natal diagnostic procedures from communicating to the pregnant woman or her relative, the sex of the foetus by means of words, signs or in any other manner; Section 6(b) which prohibits the determination of the sex of the foetus and Section 20(3) which empowers the Appropriate Authority (in this case, the Chief Medical Officer of Fatehgarh Sahib district) to suspend in public interest the registration of the clinic or laboratory without issuing any show-cause notice. This
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power has not been invoked as yet by the Appropriate Authority and according to Veena Kumari, coordinator of Human Rights Law Network, the woman doctor who was running the diagnostic centre had shifted her operations elsewhere. The ultrasonologist involved was not to be found either. Two women in Bhatinda district have also been similarly booked under Section 312 IPC. Under Section 312, whoever voluntarily causes a woman with a child to miscarry, shall, if such miscarriage be not caused in good faith for the purpose of saving the life of the woman, be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both, and if the woman be quick with child, shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to seven years, and shall also be liable to pay a fine. A woman who causes herself to miscarry also falls within the ambit of this section. The MTP Act, 1971 legalises abortion though it lays down several conditions under which such a procedure may be performed. Section 120 pertains to concealing a design to commit an offence and this is punishable with imprisonment. Veena Kumari, who is an advocate with the Punjab and Haryana High Court, explained that Section 312 hardly had any relevance after the passage of the MTP Act and was rarely invoked. She therefore found it strange that this provision was invoked. According to her, a senior health department official had told her that the department was "catching all those persons who were directly involved in the crime". Veena Kumari said that the import and intent of the PNDT Act was to prevent the misuse of foetal sex determination, and instead of focussing on the agency that conducted the test, the health department was focussing on foeticide itself. "When women get targeted, the focus gets blunted," she said. Violations of the PNDT Act involve severe punishment. Section 23(3) lays down that any person who seeks the aid of a genetic counselling centre, a genetic laboratory or a genetic clinic or of a medical geneticist, gynaecologist or registered medical practitioner, for applying pre-natal diagnostic techniques on any pregnant woman (unless there is evidence she was compelled to undergo such diagnostic techniques) for purposes other than those specified, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term that may extend to three years and with a fine which may extend to Rs.10,000 and any subsequent conviction may involve imprisonment which may extend to five
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years and a fine of up to Rs.50,000. Unless it can be proved that the pregnant woman was compelled by someone to undergo a pre-natal diagnostic test, Section 23(3) will apply to her too. Certain amendments have been proposed to the PNDT Act by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare including the exclusion of pregnant woman from the punitive provisions of Section 23(3). An unlettered Surinder Kaur, it is entirely possible, was persuaded by family members to undergo an ultrasound scan, but she has not conveyed this fact in her statement to the police. Her sister-in-law Devender Kaur allegedly accompanied her to the diagnostic centre. Surinder's first child was a girl. Between Gurmeet Singh, his two brothers and their wives, there are seven daughters in the joint family. According to available facts, Surinder Kaur got an ultrasound scan done when she was a little more than four months pregnant. Devender Kaur stated that she was unaware what the ultrasonologist had conveyed to Surinder Kaur. But in fact, the sex of the foetus had been conveyed verbally to Surinder and her sister-in law at a cost of Rs.1,200, almost four times the prevailing rate. Evidently, despite certain Supreme Court directives to State governments and the Central government regarding the strict implementation of the PNDT Act, several such centres were operating illegally, and literally preying upon the "son preference" syndrome in Indian society. The nurse allegedly carried out the abortion on February 28 in Surinder Kaur's marital home. The foetus was buried in the courtyard. According to a senior official in the State health department, the police were tipped off about the foeticide by another nurse. On March 8, the remains of the foetus were dug out and sent for examination. The police took Surinder Kaur and her sister-in-law into custody. While Surinder had to be hospitalised as she had hardly recovered from the abortion, her sister-in-law was put in the lock-up. A bail application was moved on March 10 and two days later the two were given bail. Charges were yet to be framed. The nurse involved was suspended by the Health Department. When this correspondent met Surinder Kaur, her husband and relatives at their home, she seemed too scared even to voice an opinion. Most of the talking in the family was done by the men. "Pind di log sohde hin ki ladka theek hai (The village community
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feels that it is better to have boys),"said Gurmeet's elder brother. A former sarpanch of the village and his wife Jaswant Kaur explained that a small family was the norm and even if girls were not born, it was not considered a big loss. All of them admitted that the practice of exchanging dowry had grown over the years and that even middle-income families were now not averse to claiming dowry. "If earlier the demand was a bicycle, now it is for a motorcycle or even a car, and gold for the bride as well as for the mother-in-law," said Jaswant Kaur. She added that as "big people" gave dowry, it had become necessary for others to emulate the practice. It was not coincidental that a consultation on the menace of female foeticide in the context of growing gender violence was organised in Chandigarh and Fatehgarh Sahib on May 20 and 21 by the Voluntary Health Association of India and the Voluntary Health Association, Punjab. It was argued there that female foeticide would not stop as long as other manifestations of gender violence continued in society. Such violence, it was pointed out, could be in the form of domestic violence stemming from dowry demands, son preference and so on. The meeting in Chandigarh blamed also the consumerist culture stimulated by the forces of globalisation and liberalisation for impinging on the well-being of women. The easy availability of certain technology including for foetal sex determination and pre-conception sex selection had proved inimical to the interests of women, it was stressed.

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CONCLUSION
There is no denying the fact that the phenomenon of sex-selective abortions is very complex. Social stigmas and dowry are mainly responsible for this practice. It is not only the men who favour the practice but it is the women more than men who exhibit negative attitudes towards the girl child. It is more women who tend to support sexselective abortions than the men. Many women in our sample argued that it is better to get rid of an unwanted child than to make her suffer whole of her life. As India becomes a stable country and males do not get consumed to hateful acts by fellow humans, the number of males have gone up. However, the practice of dowry remains stronger than ever. The families that commit female foeticide love their living daughters, however that passion is not extended to the female fetus. The progressive feminine movements tend to have mixed feeling towards this inhuman cruelty as they are in favor or overall freedom of abortion. Their voices get blunted as they have to support both sides of the coin. As females drop in number in a society, society gets destabilized. Similar destabilization, violence and lack of progress is observed in polygamous societies, where females are treated as properties and the source of all violence is to "acquire and control" females. Here are some ideas to prevent female infanticide and female foeticide. - Free education for women up to college and even post graduate education in government run institutions (Similar plans are being implemented in many states in India) - Males should stand up to their own moms and dads when they start chirping about unwanted female children. - Create a feminine movement so that women feel a sisterhood towards each other and stand up for a woman in a neighboring house rather than turn a blind eye. - Refuse marriage of women into households or be very careful of families that have only male children or a very high percentage of males. Chances are high that they did you know what. Again, a few innocents will be in needless trouble, but sometimes poisonous and normal snakes look alike and it is better to get out a stick and protect your own daughters and sisters. - Do not provide any government incentives to families that have only males. Again
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the bad snake good snake logic applies. But that is OK. Consider it payback for all the dead female children. - Provide extra incentives for families that have more than one girl child. This will help correct the gender balance in a few years. - If you have a female child, educate her and provide her the same opportunities as a male child. This is the one thing that makes female killing folks look foolish and dumb. - Encourage marriage of males to educated women. Conversely, an educated female class will be more aware of their rights.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Volume 19 - Issue 12, June 8-21, 2002 India's National Magazine from the publishers of THE HINDU. 2. Singh, D.P., female foeticide in punjab"causes and consequences", Paragon international Publishers,2007. 3. Arora, Balwinder. , Female Foeticide In Punjab- a sociological Study, press $ publications,2006. 4. http://mistersingh.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/the-more-they-change-themore-they-remain-the-same/ 5. http://updateox.com/india/state-wise-sex-ratio-in-india-in-2011-comparedwith-2001-census/ 6. http://blogsexpression.blogspot.com/2011/07/crime-petrol-fights-againstfemale.html

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