Female Infanticide During British Rule

The Indian Penal Code has given a proper definition for infanticide in Section 315, which refers to it as the killing of infants falling in the age category of 0-1. This is very important to point out the differences between this and other atrocities against children, including murder and foeticide. However, there has been a history of widespread infanticide of women in India. The causes depicting and bringing out causes of this phenomenon include extreme Poverty, infants with disabilities, no awareness about support centres, and the dowry system. Even after being criminalized in the country, it is still a crime that remains unreported because of data that cannot be relied on. 

What is Female Infanticide? 

Today, the women population comprises around one-half of the total global population. However, there are still wide disparities, and women are always subject to disadvantageous roles. The patriarchal and male-dominated population has not just exploited, but also abused them. In India, there was a tradition that has, since the very beginning, suppressed women mentally, sexually, politically, sometimes under the context of faith or often under legal prohibitions. This oppression and suppression of women and the killing of a girl child even before birth are known as female infanticide. 

However, before the constitution was laid down, Indians were alien to the concept of men and women being tested as equals. But, the Preamble is considered the supreme law, which ensures security and protection, justice for political and economic issues, equality laws and opportunities for the citizens and the people, which includes the large population of women, for fostering fraternity so that every individual can live with integrity.

Cultural and Social Impact of Female Infanticide in India

The cultural and social impact of female infanticide in India can be understood in the below listed points:

1. Sex Ratio: 

India has a sex ratio in which there is significant domination by men. This results from aborting all the girl children prior to birth, or female infanticide. India has a known history of bad sex ratios since 1981, which can worsen with 927 girls as against 1000 boys. India is subject to the world’s highest rates of infanticide. 

2. Poverty: 

When women are subject to extreme poverty, they are enabled to grow and afford the entire process of raising children. This is one of the primary reasons for infanticides for women in India. 

3. Dowry System: 

The prevalent system of dowries during marriages and even after that from the women’s side is another cause of female infanticide. In the low-income families present in the rural areas, this infanticide and abortion of female children are attributed to the fear of the inability to raise an adequate amount of dowry and then be subjects of social ostracized. Even though steps have been taken to abolish this system, it still exists. 

4. Other primary reasons: 

There are a few primary reasons behind female infanticide in India: childbirths because of rape, children born with disabilities in low-income families, or children born to mothers who are not married and lack knowledge about safe birth control techniques. Furthermore, lower levels of income, no support, difficulties in relationships, and illnesses that concern mental health like post-partum depression, are also reasons that add to High rates of female infanticide in India. 

Conclusion

In this article, we discussed what is female infanticide and what are the social and cultural impact of it on women present in India. This article brought out the hardships women faced during the British rule due to female infanticide. There are many places in India where a girl child is considered unlucky. Even though the constitution gives equal rights to men and women, these fundamental rights are yet to be implemented in different states across the country.