After giving birth to a daughter as her first child, a woman from Lumbini Sanskritik municipality-10 went to a medical outlet in Bhairahawa for an ultrasound scan. The scan showed that the fetus was a daughter. She aborted since a son was expected by her husband and family. The woman had to abort two more fetuses for a single reason– they were daughters.
Her fifth pregnancy brought happiness to the family. An ultrasound test showed that she was going to have a son. The ultrasound test failed in its prophecy. The woman eventually gave birth to a daughter. “Most of the family members were in the hospital during delivery. They got upset about finding out that the child was a daughter. My husband did not even talk to me,” said the woman. “The pain of having a daughter added to my labor pain. My family’s hatred towards daughters soured me.”
The woman had to go through immense physical, psychological, and social pressure for giving birth to a daughter. “Neither of my daughters have received the love and respect they deserve. It’s painful to witness the status of my daughters in my own family,” she lamented.
Physical weakness following a series of abortions her present. “I am well aware that daughters can do anything if they get opportunities. But I aborted thrice out of family pressure,” she explained. Currently, she is in a condition to bear unbearable pain in the lower abdomen. A lean and thin body along with headache and dizziness caused by mental stress has become a part of her troubled lifestyle. She studied until grade 12 and her husband has a bachelor’s degree. Other members of the family also have received a good education. However, their education failed to impart a sense of equality between daughters and sons.
Another woman residing in Shankarnagar, Tilottama municipality aborted her daughter. After having a daughter as her first child, a son was expected as the second. “My in-laws wanted a son to give continuity to their lineage. Even with a master’s degree, I could not change their minds,” she grieved. “I would have avoided abortion if my husband supported by stance, but he too wanted a son.” Pressured by her mother in law, her husband is in favor of a son. He is a businessperson by profession. “The well-to-do family has been plagued by the sense of inequality for a son and a daughter,” she opened up.
Stories of these two women are just representatives of a wider scenario. The number of women involved in the biased and artificial selection of fetuses to beget a son has been increasing recently. It has become commonplace for a couple who have a daughter as their first child to get the sex of their upcoming child tested. The more troubling part of the issue is that people with considerable higher education are also carrying the same attitude.
Gynecologist Dr. Sadiksha Chapagain says that ultrasound is a proven technology and device for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Apart from testing the health of a pregnant woman, it is used to check the status of the fetus, possible dangers facing it, and probable genetic complications along with the diagnosis of other potential ailments. Ultrasound is deemed compulsory for understanding the health status of the fetus. Owing to its ability to determine the sex of a fetus after a certain duration of pregnancy, the powerful technology has become a handy weapon for those involved in illegal sex-based abortion.
The greed of doctors and health professionals stemming from desperate requests from people has played a major role in trivializing sex-based abortions. “Confidence of professionals involved in such cases has been boosted by the lack of monitoring and high prevalence of impunity,” Dr. Chapagain explained.
The sex ratio of childbirth is getting disturbed by sex-based abortion which has been fueled by the culture of prioritizing sons over daughters. Statistics from Lumbini Provincial Hospital show that the number of male children exceeded the number of female children last year. Out of 11,377 children born in the hospital in the fiscal year (FY) 2019/20, 5,985 were male whereas 5,193 were female. The remaining 199 children died during delivery. In contrast, among 10,136 children born in FY 2017/18, 5,357 were female and 4,731 were male. 174 children died during delivery in the same year, according to Pankaj Patel, who works in the Medical Records Section of the hospital.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), 103 new male children were born per 100 female children in 2005. In 2015, the figures surged to 110 male children per 100 female children. The decrease in relative birth rates of female children evident from these statistics has put a light on a dark side of Nepali society: the culture of devaluing daughters.
There are various legal provisions in favor of women. Equal property inheritance rights for daughters and the right to reproductive health and safe motherhood are some of them. The Constitution of Nepal mentions any sort of violence or discrimination against women based on religion, social and cultural traditions, or any other grounds is forbidden, and any such act is punishable by law and the victim shall be compensated. However, the implementation of such clauses is at its minimum.
There are laws, rules, criteria related to abortion. However, sex-based abortion is not being checked by any level of government, including the provincial. Statistics from the Health Directorate of Lumbini Province shows that the number of abortions in the province has been increasing. According to Kaushal Bhandari, family planning supervisor at the Health Directorate of Lumbini Province, 18,760 women conducted safe abortion in 2019/20. The figure stood at 17,313 in 2018/19. Although the data about sex-based abortions have not been disclosed, the increasing number of abortions is increasing. Since the social factors influencing sex-based abortions have not changed, an increase in the number of abortions overall is worrisome from the perspective of sex.
Lumbini Provincial Government has stated that it is committed to the economic and social empowerment of women and marginalized communities through nutrition, legal awareness, boosting of income level, and employment generation. “We have given a great emphasis on awareness programs and education to help people realize that sons and daughters are equal,” said Sudarshan Baral, minister for social development.
