Socio-Economic Benefits of Having Sons and Female Feticide in India: Gender Discrimination in Sex Selection

Main Article Content

Subhash

Abstract

Sons are always preferred over daughters in India for a very long time. There are some perceived socio-cultural and economic benefits of having sons in Indian patriarchal social system. The paper highlights some major socio-economic factors which are responsible for the female feticide in India. After giving some brief introduction, paper discusses socio-cultural traditions and norms which neglect girls and prefer sons. Paper also highlights some religious quotes which degrade women and grant higher status to the men.
The next part of the paper deals with the economics behind female-feticide. Sons are
considered as assets while girls as liabilities in Indian patriarchal society. Parents expect
more economic benefits from the sons than daughters. The rational economic mind of
parents forces them to select male sex than female. Son brings dowry, a free servant (wife),
salary and other economic benefits into the family. Paper concludes that the major causes
of female-feticide are- socio-cultural beliefs, religious customs and unfavorable labour
market towards women. Some important suggestions to stop female feticide are presented
at the end of the paper.

Article Details

How to Cite
Subhash. (2016). Socio-Economic Benefits of Having Sons and Female Feticide in India: Gender Discrimination in Sex Selection. Mind and Society, 5(01), 07–13. Retrieved from https://mindandsociety.in/index.php/MAS/article/view/19
Section
Research Article

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