A look at the disturbing downward trend in India's sex ratio.

1. India’s Sex Ratio Global Health & Healing April 2011 Suffolk University Guest Lecturer: Diane D’Souza

2. What is a “sex ratio”? The proportion of females to males in a population. It is calculated as the number of females per thousand males. It is measured at different points in the life cycle.

3. What’s a “Normal” Sex Ratio? Sex ratio: at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.07 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2011 est.) Source: CIA Factbook; accessed on 20 April 2011 from: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2018.html

4. India’s Missing Girls Today, 2,000 girls a day go missing in India. That’s 700,000 a year. Demographers estimate that 10 million girlsdisappeared from 1981 to 2005. Source: P. M. Kulkarni, UNFPA Report: "Estimations of Missing Girls at Birth and Juvenile Ages in India”, United Nations Population Fund, 2007.

5. How it happens has changed over time: Death of mothers in childbirth. Neglect during early infancy and young childhood. Killing after the female child is born. Illegal sex determination and consequent abortion.

7. State-wise diversity in sex ratio at birth What might cause these differences? Source: “Seven brothers: An aversion to having daughters is leading to millions of missing girls”, The Economist, 7 April 2011; accessed on 20 April 2011 at: www.economist.com/node/18530371

8. What contributes to India’s low sex ratio? Females perceived as an economic burden (dowry, marriage costs). Males perceived as providing for one’s parents in old age (and inheriting property). A punishing patriarchal view of female worth—which has been internalized by women.