UNFPA VIDEO:
CULTURAL PREFERENCE FOR BOYS IN ASIA CREATES DEMOGRAPHIC AND SOCIAL
PROBLEMS, BY CAROLINE PATTON:
10/03/2008
(MaximsNews TV)
UNITED
NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network / 10
March 2008 -- The United
Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) highlights the societal consequences of the
gender imbalance that has been created by the traditional emphasis on sons
rather than daughters.
Driven
by cultural, economic, and religious reasons, this preference for boys has led
the ration of males to females to rise from its natural 105 to 100 to 118 or
even 135 to 100. Technology has abetted this trend by making it possible for
some parents to determine the sex of an unborn baby and abort girls, a practice
that has been condemned but rarely has legal consequences.
Deeply
rooted attitudes in countries like India and China have been slow to change and
these societies continue to often celebrate the birth of sons and view daughters
as misfortunes. They place emphasis on having an heir and view sons as a way to
ensure parents are cared for in their declining years.
The
result is often a society in which men have trouble finding a bride, compounding
the demographic issues, and this has led to the importation of women from other
countries to meet the demand.
Trafficking of women to be sold as brides or used
as prostitutes is a serious issue today. Domestic and sexual violence are also
unfortunately widespread in some places.
But
the dark side of these mores has come under a great deal of scrutiny and many
organizations both on the international level and more locally are dedicated
to
changing these attitudes and mitigating their dire social consequences.
Many
activists in these countries dedicate their time to talking with women and
altering the attitudes that have produced such problems. They have been aided by
NGOs and organizations like the UNFPA, which has wide-ranging initiatives in
place to help and empower women.
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