Her.meneutics: The Lost Girls of China and India

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The Christianity Today women's blog provides news and analysis from the perspective of evangelical women. We cover news stories and books related to international justice and evangelism, pregnancy and sexual ethics, marriage, parenting, and celibacy, pop culture, health and body image, raising girls, and women in the church and parachurch.

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« Beyonce Is Wrong: Girls Don't Run the World | Main | Reading Scripture with Sex Abuse Survivors »

June 29, 2011

The Lost Girls of China and India

Why so many baby girls are being killed in the world's two largest countries.

Amy Julia Becker

Across most cultures and throughout time, parents have wanted boys more than they have wanted girls. Recently developed technologies are allowing parents to reject their girl children before they are even born.

In India and China, the world’s two most populated nations, parents have chosen to abort hundreds of millions of baby girls.

According to Samanth Subramanian, writing for The National, “Indians are aborting more female foetuses (sic.) than at any time in their nation's history, with the practice growing fastest in the more affluent states. . . . There are now 914 girls for every 1,000 boys under the age of 6.”

Furthermore, the BBC News reports that in India, “activists fear eight million female foetuses may have been aborted in the past decade.” In addition to a large number of abortions using so-called “sex-selection,” the infant mortality rate is higher for girls than boys in India, probably due to a combination of neglect and infanticide.

This gender disparity has posed social problems for decades. In 1994, India's legislators made it illegal for ultrasound technicians to reveal babies’ sex in India, yet the disparity between births of girls and boys has only increased in recent years. The laws on the books are rarely enforced and pose minimal consequences, but even for doctors who obey the law, the problem remains. World Magazine recently reported on a hospital in Morena, a rural area with 825 girls to every 1,000 boys. The editors wrote, “The hospital insists it strictly obeys the law against using sonograms to reveal the gender of a baby. . . . The sex ratio at birth at [Dr. R.C. Bandil’s] hospital is as high as 940-945.” In other words, even when baby girls aren’t aborted, they die young: “An exhausted mother who faces neglect, poor nutrition, and blame for producing a daughter is likely to pass on that neglect, social workers say. For an infant, that can mean the difference between life and death.”

An even greater gender disparity exists in China, where “the ratio is 837 girls per 1,000 boys.” According to an Economist report last year, “The destruction of baby girls is a product of three forces: the ancient preference for sons; a modern desire for smaller families; and ultrasound scanning and other technologies that identify the sex of a fetus.” Furthermore, at least in India, parents still often pay a dowry when their daughters get married. Girls cost more and produce less. Ultrasound technology and abortion allow them to be treated as commodities, discarded like defective widgets on a production line.

In addition to the obvious and egregious ethical problems posed by widespread abortion and infanticide of baby girls, the Economist spells out pragmatic problems for such an imbalanced society: “the cumulative consequence for societies of such individual actions is catastrophic… In any country rootless young males spell trouble; in Asian societies, where marriage and children are the recognised routes into society, single men are almost like outlaws. Crime rates, bride trafficking, sexual violence, even female suicide rates are all rising and will rise further as the lopsided generations reach their maturity.”

The Economist cites South Korea as the only nation where the rates of sex-selective abortions have decreased dramatically: “In the 1990s South Korea had a sex ratio almost as skewed as China’s. Now, it is heading towards normality. It has achieved this not deliberately, but because the culture changed. Female education, anti-discrimination suits and equal-rights rulings made son preference seem old-fashioned and unnecessary. The forces of modernity first exacerbated prejudice — then overwhelmed it.” In addition to suggesting that China change its one-child policy, The Economist suggests a series of other measures to effect change: “encourage female education; abolish laws and customs that prevent daughters inheriting property; make examples of hospitals and clinics with impossible sex ratios; get women engaged in public life — using everything from television newsreaders to women traffic police.”

A fundamental Christian claim is the inherent worth of every human being. In Roman times, Christians contributed significantly to the end of infanticide. Contemporary notions of human rights alone are not the key to cultural change, nor is an appeal to the social necessity of men and women. Christians and non-Christians agree on the importance of changing attitudes toward women so that sex-selective abortions and infanticide cease, and a combination of governmental programs, law enforcement, and other social measures should help such change occur. Yet Christians have a key ethical foundation to offer to effect such cultural change. From Genesis 1:27 — “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them — ” to Psalm 139:13 — “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb" — Christians can attest that every human life is a valuable one with inherent dignity and worth regardless, of gender, race, age, or ability. The foundation on which gender equality lies is neither modernity nor pragmatism, but rather the truth about who we are as bearers of the imago Dei.

Comments

Look at majority of roles/behavior/images of women and girls on tv, magazines and movies..... it's poor,pathetic and rotten. Hence, for men and every father who allows this murder, is why bother with girl child! Abortions and murder of girls in this day and age is sickening and growing. Its a man's world. On a side note,TV is the new God for people - we have to harness and create it's goodness not create garbage.

This is really sad. Thanks, Amy Julia, for an informative piece.

If anyone is interested in helping to solve this horrible problem, please check out www.allgirlsallowed.org -- we are a faith-based non-profit devoted to restoring value to girls.

Thanks!

It is very sad. Even from what your say, the answer is obviously in the preaching of the Judaeo-Christian Gospel.

Thank you for focusing on this issue. I currently live as an overseas worker in one of the countries mentioned in this article and it's a reality I see daily. From the plain disappointment on the face of my neighbors when they brought home their second baby daughter from the hospital to my college-age friends who are fighting with their families to stay in college instead of having their marriage arranged, South Asia is a hard place to be a woman. Yes, the gospel is what will ultimately bring dignity to all of God's daughters here. Those of us in the thick of it appreciate your prayers as we attempt to shine that light into this particular darkness.

Thank you so much. We need to launch a sustained campaign on the subject till we see the desired change.

Abraham Alfred

I believe one of the major reasons for the improvement in S. Korea is the Christian revival in that country. The conviction of the Holy Spirit and the obedience of believers of Jesus Christ to Him and His word change the country. My prayer is that a similar change will occur in China, India and America.

Shadowline Films is producing a documentary, coming out soon, on this issue of "gendercide" in China and India. Our team traveled to China and India to capture this tragic issue and hope to educate and mobilize the world to end this atrocity. You can learn more at http://shadowlinefilms.com

Since you didn't come right out and say it, I will. Abortion is not causing the problem in these countries; Patriarchy is.

This can still be the case under Christianity if it subscribes to a patriarchal ideology.

From a recent Ms Magazine book review on this issue, "the right to choose is not the problem. The core culprit lies in valuing male children over female. When girls are esteemed as much as boys, parents will no longer seek to have sons and not daughters."

http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2011/06/29/have-abortion-rights-led-to-a-world-of-missing-women/

This article is long on the problem and short on the solution, other than a couple of platitudes.

Isn't it ironic that ultrasound technology, that the so-called pro-life groups are trying to impose on women seeking abortions in this country in the belief that a woman seeking an abortion will change her mind if she sees the ultrasound, is being used in other countries by women to decide TO HAVE an abortion because they don't like what they see?

It's laws like these, and those seeking to require certain "facts" to be read to a woman before she can have an abortion, that contribute to the patriarchal culture in which women are demeaned because they are not trusted to be able to make sound decisions. Can you imagine a law that required a man, before he could exercise his constitutional right to buy a copy of a porn magazine, to view a picture of his wife so that he is clear on who he's harming?

*To Christian Lawyer - While I agree that the opposing purposes and results of using ultrasound in different countries is an irony, I disagree that laws regarding use of ultrasound provision of "certain facts" to a woman considering abortion is patriarchial and demeaning. It is the opposite. These requirements say that a woman IS capable of making a sound decision given factual information.
*I think that widespread acceptance of abortion is part of the problem because it stems from the fact that these cultures in general do not value human life beyond what it contributes materially to society. Men and women are both only commodities. Women just have less value. I also live in one of the countries mentioned, and one example is the appalling lack of worker safety here. Children with handicaps, even minor deformities also suffer for this reason. Many are abandoned.
*It is promotion of the value of human beings - men and women - as God's creation and programs that empower women and girls in their society will help more than laws.

Laura -- Part of right of decision-making is determing which "facts" are important to consider. Requiring that certain "facts" must be presented to a woman takes that part of the decision-making process away from the woman and her doctor and gives it to the government. Allowing that women are "capable" of decision-making, only with the caveat that the government must supply the "facts" -- even where the woman is already consulting a professional -- treats the woman as a child. Do we ever do that to men?

Christian Lawyer - In answer to your question, yes we do. For every medical procedure the law requires the doctor/hospital to provide a comprehensive list of facts regarding possible "side effects" or things that could go wrong, and you (man or woman) must sign your consent to say that you understand and rescind your legal right to sue. When I had eye surgery, one of the possibilities listed was that I could die. That was a highly remote possibility, but I still had to sign. These kinds of requirements are true for both men and women, except for women wanting to have an abortion in many states.
I don't think this topic is directly related to the blog article, so I don't think we can continue this conversation. Sorry.

International Teams (iteams.org) has been combating poverty and injustice throughout South Asia and East Asia. Check out their most recent effort to raise awareness and support for the forgotten in our world: songsfortheoppressed.org/

Laura -- The issue of so-called pro-life Christians supporting laws requiring women seeking abortions to have an ultrasound, or to be read certain "facts" before they can receive the abortion, is in fact related to the topic of this article. The article is about how cultural and legal systems that demean women lead to the views that make sex-selection abortions so widespread. I think that Christians who believe they are pro-life need to realize the effect of the laws they are pushing, which in my opinion, continue to demean women by not trusting them, in consultation with their doctors, to be able to make a decision for themselves. They are pushing to impose even more demeaning laws onto women.

"For every medical procedure the law requires the doctor/hospital to provide a comprehensive list of facts regarding possible "side effects" or things that could go wrong, and you (man or woman) must sign your consent to say that you understand and rescind your legal right to sue."

-- You said you don't live in the U.S., so perhaps this is how it is in your country, but this is NOT the way it works in the U.S. Here, these disclosure forms are NOT created by law. Doctors and hospitals, in connection with other medical professionals, NOT THE GOVERNMENT, create guidelines and protocols that doctors follow. And certainly, signing those forms does NOT "rescind your legal right to sue" in this country. It is only with abortion that legislators want to get in between a woman and her doctor. And, we don't do that to men.

CL, it may not be federal law to have disclosure forms, but it is certainly state law in the majority of the states, if not all 50 states. In addition, it is a part of the AMA ethical guidelines, and although the AMA's ethical guidelines are not binding by law, courts have used ethical obligations as the basis for imposing legal obligations. Do you ever get tired of playing word games, I guess not, it is part of your so-called profession.

CL, only a totally leftist who has a major agenda of aborting babies, and is not pro-choice, but obviously is pro-killing of babies would say that women need less information about a medical procedure that they are about to undergo. It's totally demeaning to women to think that they can't handle more information. It also is ignorant to think that Planned Parent is giving women all the information about the "procedure" that they are about to undergo because videos show that they do not. You're very good at using euphemisms for the murdering of these children.

I'm sure you'll deny the fact that they found that each Planned Parenthood "clinic" has goals to reach of performing a certain amount of abortions so they can get more money. That's what everything boils down to in the end it seems, power and money. Planned Parenthood also was caught advising men and women on how to run underage prostitution rings, basically sexual slavery. And you're all for this, using language like in the book 1984, to make it sound more appealing to people, to hide the fact that they are killing a real baby with a beating heart. On day 22, less than a week after you can get a positive pregnancy test, the baby's heart is beating. Don't bother lying and denying their goals of reaching a certain amount of abortions, and the help they have given to prostitution rings using underage children, it's easy enough to verify online with videos and in the mainstream press.

I really don't see how you can call yourself a Christian and be so vehemently pro-abortion and actually fight against people having more knowledge about a procedure they're about to undergo. There ARE major risks such as accidentally cutting into the uterus with the curette or forceps, there is a risk of not suctioning out all of the fetus, leaving a bit behind which would cause a major infection like septicemia, and also, without an ultrasound, there is always a chance of having a positive pregnancy test, but the fetus is ectopic aka a tubal pregnancy. Without the ultrasound, the woman would go away thinking she had an abortion, while the baby in the fallopian tube is still growing, and when the tube eventually ruptures, the woman can easily die, it's like a ruptured appendix. If you really did truly care about the women, you would want to demand that an ultrasound be done first, so there is no risk of an ectopic pregnancy.

In my state, as in most states, young women under the age of 18 need parental consent to have their ears pierced, the parent has to be present and both the daughter and mother show ID, but none of this is required of course to have a baby killed. It's really ridiculous to have ear piercing more regulated than abortions at the abortion mills. We're talking about lives here, and the lobbyists and lawyers use their power to keep these human abortion mills running, it's a travesty of justice, and I am sure that God is totally against this. Why do I get the impression you either work for Planned Parenthood or for the government somehow?

Barbara -- Each and every one of your purported "facts" is false. State law does not mandate the medical disclosure forms. Mandatory ultrasound laws actually contradict what the medical professional organizations recommend. It would take too long to sort out your confusion about the role of "guidelines" and "legal liability." The majority of states require parental involvement in a minor's abortion decision (although most have judicial by-pass provisions for very limited circumstances). Organizations staffed by humans sometimes hire humans who err. See, e.g., Jimmy Swaggert, Jim Bakker, Ted Haggard, pedophile priests .... It doesn't make the entire organization evil.

Pro-life groups in my state have sponsored dozens of billboards claiming that "babies" just a few days after conception have a beating heart, while showing on the billboard an ultrasound picture of a fetus that is weeks, if not months, older than what they are talking about. So much for the "truth" setting you free I guess.

Pro-life groups bemoan abortion but can't acknowledge that the patriarchal culture to which they contribute is part of the problem and not any part of the solution. For example, they focus on forcing these so-called "facts" and procedures on women, rather than on trying to solve the problems leading women to seek out abortion in the first place, such as poverty, lack of educational opportunity, and lack of access to safe, affordable, and comprehensive family planning services. And, as we've seen in this article, showing women ultrasounds can have just the opposite effect of what the pro-life community wants.

Amy Julia, Great article. We hope for change in those countries.

@CL... I am prolife but props to you for saying: "pro-life groups bemoan abortion but can't acknowledge that the patriarchal culture to which they contribute is part of the problem and not any part of the solution."

There are thousand up on thousands of broken hearted men and women over the unwanted yet required abortions. Wounds that just never heal and show up as anger and resentment. Hopelessness. Until He comes, to show, to treat girls and women with dignity and respect must be taught and insisted on. Sadly this issue is so tied into "liberal feminism", we often forget the person who is hurt. thank you for this post and thank you to others who are actively raising this issue and fighting it in real and practical ways.

@Evan Davis:

"Since you didn't come right out and say it, I will. Abortion is not causing the problem in these countries; Patriarchy is."

No Evan, Socialism is. No matter what the gender preference is, there are still children being exterminated by the will of the state.

Until you can face up to that fact, you will only be contributing to a silent holocaust by supporting a vicious ideology that holds the miracles of both childbirth and family as an anathema.

I find it hard to believe in a God, but thanks to folks like you, I can most definitely believe the devil is there.

For the rest of you, check out this blog, from one of the few religious people I know who actually gets it:

http://dalrock.wordpress.com/

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