Contemporary Trends In Female Infanticide

Female infanticide is the intentional killing of infant girls. In addition to the active methods undertaken to eliminate baby girls soon after birth, neglect and discrimination leading to death and sex-selective abortion are also means by which many female children die each year. These phenomena are most prevalent in patriarchal societies in which the status of women is low and a preference for sons is built into the cultural ideology.Female infanticide cuts across all social and economic boundaries. Thus, the practice involves a wide range of location-specific and culturally-motivated causes. In rural and poverty-stricken areas, lack of education, economic resources, and access to healthcare are factors that lead to the murder of infant girls. In urban areas, selective abortion is commonly employed by individuals with access to modern medical technology that allows for early detection of sex.