Marwari jains combat female feticide

OM ASTHA RAI

KATHMANDU, Aug 3: Marwari followers of Jainism in Nepal have started a fight against sex-selective abortion after finding that the practice is on steady rise in their community.

Jain marwaris are working to launch various awareness programs against the practice.

“In the first phase, we will be holding rallies in different cities urging parents to not abort their female fetuses,” says Usha Naulakha, president of Jain Shwetamber Terapanth Mahila Mandal, an organization of Jain women that held an interaction program recently with lawmakers, doctors and intellectuals on the ways to eliminate sex-selective abortion.

According to Naulakha, the Mandal will be visiting cities like Biratnagar, Birgunj and Nepalgunj. “Our primary focus is Jain community in Kathmandu,” says Naulakha. “We, however, want to go beyond the capital and our community in the long run as this practice is not confined to one particular region or religion.”

The Mandal has already launched two programs that aim to prevent female feticides apart from encouraging morality in society. “Under the first program, we reach out to girl students in different schools and educate them about female feticide as they are future mothers,” says Sharada Pragya,a Jainism preacher. The second program is focused on sensitizing parents.

The Mandal has already launched two programs that aim to prevent female feticides apart from encouraging morality in society. “Under the first program, we reach out to girl students in different schools and educate them about female feticide as they are future mothers,” says Sharada Pragya,a Jainism preacher. The second program is focused on sensitizing parents.

According to Lalwani, the average age of marriage for males in Marwari community has gone up to 27 years from 22. “The number of females is falling compared to males in the community,” he says. It has apparently caused anxiety among prospective bridegrooms. “Parents will be unable to find brides for their sons in the days to come if the trend of female feticide is not stopped right away,” says Lalwani.

According to Lalwani, the average age of marriage for males in Marwari community has gone up to 27 years from 22. “The number of females is falling compared to males in the community,” he says. It has apparently caused anxiety among prospective bridegrooms. “Parents will be unable to find brides for their sons in the days to come if the trend of female feticide is not stopped right away,” says Lalwani.

Pragya says scores of women talking to her confessed to having aborted female fetuses. “Women cannot hide the crimes they commit for long and confess it while talking to me after some years,” says Pragya. According to her, most of the women abort female fetuses under pressure from their husbands or sons and mothers-in-law while a few do it on their own.

Having observed a whole lot of women making confession, Pragya has now come to believe that female feticide is rampant particularly in Madhes. “Female feticide has resulted in gender imbalance in a number of states in India,” she says. “Our situation is similar to that of India as we share common culture and faiths.”

Having observed a whole lot of women making confession, Pragya has now come to believe that female feticide is rampant particularly in Madhes. “Female feticide has resulted in gender imbalance in a number of states in India,” she says. “Our situation is similar to that of India as we share common culture and faiths.”

As in India, dowry system and male preference are the two main reasons that cause female feticide. In societies largely dominated by Hindus, sons are considered as incomes whereas daughters as expenses. “This deep-rooted thought is the main problem,” says she.

Although there has been no survey on gender-selective abortion so far, the gender ratio of Nepal is somewhat ominous. According to the 2001 census, the gender ratio is 99.8 males per 100 females. This ratio was 99.5 males per 100 females according to the 1991 census. “The gender ratio is imbalanced in Madhes than in pahad (hills),” says sociologist Dilli Ram Dahal. “It would be pretty interesting to carry out a thorough research on this.”