Man cuts open wife’s stomach to ascertain the gender of the child
An Indian woman and child walk past a billboard in New Delhi on July 9, 2010, encouraging the birth of girls. Mostly as a result of sex-selective abortion, India is one of the few countries worldwide with an adverse child sex ratio in favour of boys. Under Indian law, tests to find out the gender of an unborn baby are illegal if not done for medical reasons, but the practice continues in what activists say is a flourishing multi-million-dollar business. Girls in India are often considered a liability, as parents have to put away large sums of money for dowries at the time of their marriage. AFP PHOTO/RAVEENDRAN (Photo credit should read RAVEENDRAN/AFP via Getty Images)
A man has been arrested in Uttar Pradesh, India, for using a sickle to slice his wife’s stomach in order to confirm their child’s gender. His wife has been admitted to the ICU in a hospital in New Delhi. Authorities have confirmed that the child was stillborn due to the attack.
According to a report from CNN, the incident took place on Saturday in Budaun, in the state of Uttar Pradesh. With 5 daughters, the desperate hope for a son led the man to commit the crime. Golu Singh, the victim’s brother stated that, “He attacked her with a sickle and ripped her stomach saying that he wanted to check the gender of the unborn child.” Gender inequality has remained a persistent issue within underdeveloped and developing countries. India has an unequal gender ratio of 107 males being born to every 100 females.
While abortion is legal in India, sex-selective abortions, particularly female foeticide is not. However, the existence of dowry, and traditions deep seated in patriarchal ideas which require that certain rituals only be performed by sons, have led to the continuation of discriminatory practices. A 2018 study conducted by CNN had revealed that 29 out of 35 Indian states showcased “excess mortality” in girls under 5 due to gender discrimination, with 239,000 girls dying each year due to neglect.
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