Launching a nationwide campaign, Beti Zindabad, on Human Rights Day, activists stressed the need to reach out to affluent families to improve the country’s sex ratio.
The sex ratio of the big cities like Mumbai has been poor as compared to other districts Ratnagiri, Gadchiroli and Gondia. As per the census 2011 report, Maharashtra has 883 girls per 1,000 boys while Mumbai has 838 girls per 1,000 boys. “There are doctors in big cities who want to make money and then there are people who have the money for sex determination tests. Hence, the female foeticide is rampant and flourishing in metros and neighbouring areas,” said Flavia Agnes, advocate and women rights activist who runs, Majlis, an organisation which provides legal help to needy women.
She said that while it is necessary to propagate the right of life for the girl child, it was equally important to provide them a safe environment and good life.
Advocate Varsha Deshpande, who runs Lekh Laadki and has conducted several sting operations nabbing doctors who run sex-selection rackets, said: “While everyone talks about spreading the message to the common man, time has come to focus on rich families. They don’t need any sensitisation. Only legal action and fear of civil society can deter those who deny their daughters a right to life.”
Sandeep Chachra, executive director of ActionAid India urged people to help women get every right. ActionAid invited girls and students to flag off a train painted with messages at Churchgate station. The Virar-bound train will run seven times a day for the next one month.
The NGO’s three-minute animated film will be shown on 1,500 BEST buses for 12 days. The NGO has also gone to 800 gram sabhas across India with the message of ‘Beti Zindabad’.
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