Nepal: In
keeping with the past trend, a recently unveiled report by
the National Statistics Office showed that the overall women population of
Demographers in
Demographers
as well as health experts say it is the responsibility of the authorities to
carry out separate studies to find the real cause.
Preferences of
boys over girls might have led to sex-selective abortion. Second,
discrimination in caring for girls increases female mortality.
Doctors suspect
that parents whose firstborn is a son tend to not opt for a second child and if
their firstborn is a daughter then many first determine the sex of the foetus
of their next baby. They often opt for abortion if it’s a girl. But these are
only assumptions until there is a separate comprehensive study on the issue,
according to experts.
Here’s all about
What is the sex ratio?
The sex ratio is
the ratio of males to females in a population. Doctors say the ‘natural’ sex
ratio at birth is around 105 boys per 100 girls. But as the age increases, the
sex ratio tilts in females’ favour given the higher mortality for males.
What does the census report show?
A recently
unveiled report by
the National Statistics Office showed that
According to the
report, there are 1,290,525 male children and 1,148,758 female children aged
0–4 in the country. The female population is 141,767 less than the male
population.
The 2011 census report showed there were only 43,855 more male children than
females in the age group. The number has increased more than threefold in the
last 10 years.
Among children
between five to nine years, the male population is 1,443,405, whereas the
female population is 1,323,022—or 120,383 less than boys. In 2011, there were
only 41,378 more male children than female in the said age group.
In the 10–14 age
group, the male population is 1,495,954, whereas the female population is
1,413,911. The female population is 82,043 less than males’.
In 2011, there
were only 21,010 more male children than female in the age group. The number
has increased around fourfold in the last 10 years.
Likewise, in the
15–19 age bracket, the male population is 1,494,523 and the female population
1,471,881. The female population is 22,642 less than the male population.
In
2011, the number of females was more than males’ in the age group.
Why is the gap in the sex ratio widening in
No one has a
clear answer. Demographers, as well as doctors, say sex-selective abortion
could be the chief culprit for the declining female populations of certain age
groups in the country. They all say that female foeticide is rampant in the
country but they cannot pinpoint where that is happening.
Preferences for
boys, which is always higher than that for girls, might have led to
sex-selective abortions. Second, discrimination in care for girls increases female
mortality.
The increasing
trend of late marriage also promotes the trend of a single child and such
parents prefer sons.
Health ministry
officials concede that the report shows widening gender disbalance in the
country, which needs to be addressed at the earliest.
“The report only
shows the widening gap between the male and female populations, especially in
children under 19 years old,” said Kapil Prasad Timalsina, undersecretary at
the Ministry of Health and Population, who is also a demographer. “As it is a
serious issue, we need to carry out another study to find the real cause of the
widening gap in sex ratio.”
Is sex-selective abortion legal in
Both testing of
the sex of a foetus and sex-selective abortion are banned in
Multiple doctors
the Post talked to said sex-selective abortion has persisted in the country for
years and the practice might have picked up pace of late.
Abortion rights
Abortion was
legalised in
Every year,
around 100,000 women throughout the country get abortion services— surgical or
medical—through listed health facilities. But it is estimated that thousands of
abortions, carried out either by medicines or surgery, do not enter government
records. Pills for medical abortion can be purchased over the counter in
Sex-selective abortion
Sex-selective
abortions are illegal in
The Safe
Maternity and Reproductive Health Act (2075 BS) states that pregnant women
should not be coerced into identifying the sex of the foetus through
intimidation or terror, or by improper influence and deception.
The National Criminal Code (2074 BS) allows one to five years of imprisonment
of parents and service providers, depending on the stage of pregnancy, and a
penalty ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs50,000.
However, no one
has been sentenced or fined so far for committing such a crime in
Long-term consequences
Like several
other countries in South Asia,
The easy
availability of pre-natal sex determination technologies makes female foeticide
commonplace, according to doctors.
They warn that
the ill-practices, if not stopped immediately, will lead to gender imbalance,
increased sexual violence and human trafficking.
Experts’ take
Experts say the
sex ratio at birth is much more skewed in
“There is no
conceivable way to ensure that a foetus is male,” said Dr Naresh Pratap KC,
executive director at the Family Planning Association of Nepal. “This suggests
that due to the lack of monitoring, practices like female foeticide might have
increased.”
Several experts
the Post talked to said sex-selective abortions are rampant, especially in
urban areas.
They say that
discrimination in care practices for girls could not be a reason enough to
explain the wide gender gap shown by the census report.
“If not stopped
immediately, we will face gender imbalance in the coming years,” said Dr
Jageshwor Gautam, a consultant gynaecologist. “Practices such as female
foeticide cannot be stopped without first changing people’s mindset and the
overall social outlook. A widespread awareness drive is what is needed.
Concerned agencies should also activate monitoring mechanisms to prevent the
misuse of technology.”
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