Gender preference: a pressing issue warranting increased attention

Gender preference, particularly for sons over daughters, persists in many countries, perpetuating patriarchal norms and resulting in infanticide or abandonment, particularly in Asia. In countries like India, sons are favored due to cultural beliefs, economic factors such as dowry, and the desire for lineage continuation. Despite legal measures to address this issue, cultural stigmas persist.

This preference leads to vast inequalities for girls, including limited access to education and proper nutrition. It also contributes to practices like female feticide and infanticide, exacerbated by technologies like ultrasounds used for gender determination. Millions of female fetuses have been selectively aborted, and many infants, primarily females, are abandoned annually, further perpetuating gender imbalances.

In India alone, men outnumber women significantly, leading to difficulties in finding partners for some men. Despite legal prohibitions, child abandonment, especially of girls, remains prevalent. While some cases have hopeful outcomes, many abandoned infants are never found.

Efforts to address this issue include initiatives like India’s Cradle Project, which provides safe spaces for parents to leave abandoned babies, and organizations like Shraddhanand Mahilashram, which supports underprivileged women and children through education and adoption services. Additionally, UNICEF South Asia works to promote gender equality, providing support for girls’ education, health, and economic empowerment.

While progress has been made, the future outlook remains challenging. Continued efforts from individuals, organizations, and awareness campaigns are essential to combat gender discrimination and ensure equal opportunities for girls and women worldwide, especially in Asia. Despite the ongoing struggle, these collective efforts offer hope for a future where gender discrimination no longer dictates the fate of millions of girls.

Repurposed article originally published in Her campus