Missing Baby Girls
The human sex ratio is always slightly male-biased, but in the natural state it rarely goes above 105 male births per 100 female ones… In China’s last mini-census in 2005, the ration was nearly 120 to 100 and in some districts over 150. That this is caused by sex-selective abortion…is proved by a ratio of 107 to 100 among first-born children but nearer 150 among ones born later…
By the early 21st century, all four Asian “tigers” — South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan — had a “naturally impossible” ratio of 108 or higher. India has an increasing ratio, as high as 120 in some states… For 2005 to 2010, the United Nations puts the world sex ratio at birth at 107 boys to 100 girls. Assuming 105 is natural, Dr. Eberstadt calculates that this translates into a global “girl deficit” of at least 32 million.
Full article on sex selection and the “girl deficit.” See previous post here.
Over time I would expect this would become a self-correcting problem. As men begin to outnumber women, females of marriageable age will become hard to come by. With poor marriage prospects, in India, the fathers of brides could begin to demand a dowry rather than having to pay one. The lack of the prospect of grandchildren could ultimately raise the status of women in societies where they are in short supply due to sex-selective abortions.
I’ve been following Dr. Eberstadt’s work on this topic. It’s really tragic, and quite interesting that those who self-identify as feminist activists are largely silent on the matter.
I am with Carolyn on this, why is nothing being done to reverse this girl deficit trend caused by unhuman practices in Asia?
Isn’t it ironic to post this story right after the previous post?
Not good.
This will be a real problem for some countries.