Truth about Gendercide

It exists. What is 'gendercide' you ask? Recently at the 4th Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights held in Hyderabad, India, alarming presentations were made on the issue of skewed sex ratio at birth (SRB) rates increasing in China, Vietnam, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan. As preferred in some areas in these countries, boys are given a better chance at life than girls. With the use of medical technology, the early detection of a child's sex can be determined and if the sex is a girl, one could perform an abortion and rid of the child. Currently, China tops the list in having the highest SRB with 100 girls to 120 boys. Responses to the increases in SRB have requested an urgent call to address this 'gendercide.'

Renuka Chowdhry, India's Junior Minister for Women and Child Development powerfully put it, "When there is no economic recognition to womens' work and no social value attached to this particular gender, when resource sharing remains inequitable, when women are paid less then it becomes easier to do away with this gender." Realizing this belief among some societies, Ms. Chowdhry called for an increase in womens' political participation and push for legislation that empower women. She warned, "Don't mess with nature, otherwise it will lead to a mutation of society."

After reading the outcome of the 4th Asian Pacific Conference, I have come to realize how important the Human Rights Committee's Women and Youth Forum truly is. Together, we are going to bring light to issues such as 'gendercide' and reproductive rights among women. Can we even fathom that somewhere in our world that we share together that gender is selected as a choice? We must fight for the rights of women and the girl child.