A movement losing momentum and daughters as Haryana’s sex ratio declines
The sex ratio in Haryana, India, continues to decline, highlighting persistent social issues regarding gender preference. Families continue to face pressure to produce sons, leading to high-risk pregnancies and the illegal use of sex-determination tests.
Why it matters
The persistent gender imbalance in India reflects deep-seated cultural challenges that impact women's health, education, and social status.
At 31, Bijli Devi weighs just 44 kg. Weak and pregnant, she has come to Katlupur sub-centre in Sonipat district for a routine vaccination. The doctor has flagged her pregnancy as high risk. This is her seventh in 12 years. She has six daughters, 2 to 12. “I have little choice,” she says. Her husband, an agricultural labourer, and in-laws want a son. She doesn’t know what will happen if the seventh is a girl too. Her two oldest daughters have dropped out of school. They now work as farm labourers alongside their father. “We never went for sex-determination,” Bijli Devi adds. “We don’t have the means.” A sex-determination test, illegal in India, costs ₹50,000-60,000 on the black market.
The article focuses on the social injustice and systemic hardships faced by women in rural India, framing the issue through a human rights lens.
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