A study done in 2008 suggested gender-based abortion is being practiced in the united States; the report was published in the journal of the National Academy of Sciences. Laws against gender-based abortions exist In only four states, Arizona, Illinois, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania. Florida Is currently considering such legislation. Arizona is the only state that has a race- selection abortion law. Abortion rights advocates oppose the bill.
They believe the bill will restrict the ability of women of color to receive abortion care and could jeopardize the availability of abortion procedures for all women. Call and women’s sights advocates state that the bill by punishing providers with fines and jail time would force providers to racially profile their patients and a provider would be expected to read a woman’s mind before performing an abortion or risk possible Jail time. Young, 2012) The controversy Is not limited to the United States. Britain’s 1967 Abortion Act does not legalize abortion but outlines the circumstances In which a doctor can perform one without breaching the 1861 Offences against the Person Act. Before an abortion can be carried out, two doctors must agree that continuing with he pregnancy would endanger the mother’s life, result in a severely handicapped child, or cause Injury to the mental and physical health of the mother or other children.
The concept of injury is unclear as it has never been tested in court and leaves huge discretion for doctors to approve an abortion, including for cultural reasons. Having an abortion based on a fetus’ gender is illegal unless the fetus has a sex-linked genetic condition. Recently an undercover Investigation by the Dally Telegraph newspaper In London, found doctors who agreed to terminate a pregnancy eased only on gender with no questions asked and were recorded admitting that they would falsify paperwork to arrange the abortions.
Two doctors have been suspended for granting women Illegal abortions based on gender. The General Medical Council and the Scotland Yard are now launching Investigations and the Council of Europe has urged that all of its member states should stop doctors from 1 OFF male offspring is preferred, pregnant woman undergo ultra-sound or amniocentesis and should they find out that the fetus is a female, they would eliminate it because hey prefer male fetus. This is a very common practice in both China and India.
China’s one-child policy and the use of gender based abortion, an illegal and unintended consequence of the single child policy have resulted in nearly 33 million more young males than females in China. (Rosenberg, 2009). Slogans from the early days of the policy included “If sterilization or abortion demands are rejected, houses will be toppled, cows confiscated”. New slogans promote the benefits of having fewer children and advocate gender equality, an example: “Lower fertility, better quality; joys and girls are all treasures”.
One current slogan warns: “Mistreatment and abandonment of baby girls is strictly prohibited. ” (Henpeck, 2012) India is one of the leading nations in the world in female infanticide and fetid. Indian society has traditionally been a patriarchal society. Property rights are passed down from father to son, the marriage of a daughter involves paying a dowry to the bridegrooms family and the daughter is then considered part of her in-laws’ family and no longer a part of her own, and a son is expected to care for his parents in their old age, carry on the Emily name, and bring in a dowry when he marries.
Gender selective abortion is killing upwards of one million female fetus annually; the sex ratio of females to males has dropped to less than 800:1000. (Mad, N. 2010) Indian culture perceives daughters as a social and economic burden. Indian’s stance on gender selective abortion is so ridiculous, it is either totally ignored or is only discussed in terms of how men would find wives. Although female fetid is a punishable offence in India, both the doctor and the parents may face prison and/or fines, the practice continues.
Gender selective abortion is a violation of many human rights and this practice must be stopped. In the survey that was conducted for this paper, all of the respondents had different views on abortion as a whole, but all agreed that selective abortion is wrong both morally and socially, and all believed this could have a serious impact on future generations.
