Monday, March 10, 2008

Better sex ratio to get DMs awards

Times of India

To correct the skewed sex ratio, the women and child development ministry is planning to institute awards for district magistrates who improve sex ratio in their districts.

The ministry is also embarking on a massive national level awareness and sensitisation programme on a sustained basis to check female foeticide. Non-government organisations, media, entertainment industry, spiritual leaders, medical fraternity and youth will be involved in a big way as agents of social change in the campaign. WCD minister Renuka Chowdhury said pre-natal sex determination and female foeticide was more prevalent in urban, educated and prosperous classes.

"Female foeticide is an extreme manifestation of violence against women. Female foetuses are selectively aborted. As a result, about 10 lakh girls are missing from the Indian population," she said.