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Sector: Female Feticide
The birth of their first child was a joyous
occasion for Kamala and
her husband Ramesh. They celebrated with their
neighbors and even called a pundit (a Hindu
priest) to attend the celebrations. However,
this excitement soon wore off when Kamala
delivered another baby girl. Ramesh was upset at
this news because he badly wanted a son.
Traditionally, it is the son who takes care of
the parents once they are old. One girl he could
accept but the thought of having two girls was a
burden. He took his anger out on Kamala and
cursed her for her inability to bear a son.
Kamala felt helpless and sad because she had no
control over the situation. Ramesh and his
mother neglected Kamala a nd her daughter and
refused to give them any food during this vital
time of development. The village was on Ramesh’s
side and they too blamed Kamala for only bearing
daughters. When Kamala’s mother, Sujata Devi,
heard what was happening to her daughter and
newborn grandchild she was furious. She could
not believe that the child’s very own father was
neglecting the well being of his daughter.
Sujata Devi called a meeting with her in-laws
and tried to explain to them that having a girl
was just as much of a blessing as having a boy.
Nobody listened to Sujata Devi and continued to
ridicule Kamala. Sujata Devi was especially
angry with her son in-law who was abusing
Kamala. She demanded that he come with her to
the Dharamsala Hospital to meet a doctor who
could give Ramesh a lesson in genetics. Sujata
Devi knew that because the woman could only give
a X chromosome, it was up to the man to give a X
or Y chromosome thereby determining the gender
of the fetus. But Ramesh brashly refused to
accompany Sujata Devi to the hospital and after
realizing he had no choice, he accepted his
second daughter.
When
Kamala was pregnant with her third child, Ramesh
was determined to have a boy. He was willing to
do anything, even kill the fetus, to make sure
he got his way. Ramesh decided to force Kamala
to get an ultrasound test to determine the sex
of the child. When Sujata Devi found out her son
in-law’s plans, she begged them not to go ahead
with the test. But to no avail Kamala and Ramesh
proceeded with the test and found out that they
were going to have another girl. Kamala was
scared that her husband would take drastic
measures and begged him to save the baby. Her
angst was not heard and she was forced to have
an abortion. The doctor removed the lifeless
fetus from Kamala’s womb, leaving her
traumatized.
As Kamala recounted the story to her mother,
Sujata Devi became enraged. She could not
believe that her son in-law could be capable of
this. Ramesh and his mother were treating Kamala
as if she was a childbearing machine and she
would not tolerate this. In frustration, Sujata
Devi turned to her dear friend and employer Dr.
Kshama Metre (affectionately called Dr. Didi).
Dr. Didi immediately called Ramesh to CO RD and
scolded him for what he had done and pointed out
the repercussions of his actions. Ramesh
remained silent.
Just as things began to settle, Kamala became
pregnant with her fourth child. Ramesh wanted to
find out the gender of the child and forced
Kamala to have an ultrasound. The ultrasound
revealed that the baby was a boy, which made the
family happy. However, when the baby was born it
turned out to be a girl. Everyone around Kamala
cursed and harassed her. She called her mother
crying that Ramesh was beating her because she
had brought another daughter into this world.
Sujata Devi calmed her down and went to her
in-laws to make them understand that this was
not Kamala’s fault. However, her in-laws refused
to listen.
By this time Ramesh had devised a plan to get
rid of his new-born daughter. He snatched away
the daughter right from Kamala’s arms and gave
her away to a couple that was waiting outside in
a taxi. Kamala was stunned at what had just took
place before her eyes. She was helpless and
called her mother immediately for help. Sujata
Devi, also helpless and frustrated, called Dr.
Didi who offered a vehicle to search for the
baby. Sujata Devi and the rest of her family
stormed into Kamala’s house and demanded that
they reveal the baby’s location. She shoved a
piece of paper and pen towards Ramesh and
demanded that he write down the location of the
baby. Ramesh, not knowing the exact location,
assured Sujata Devi and Kamala that he would
bring the baby back within three days. After
three days, the baby was safely back into
Kamala’s arms.
Astounded by the situation, CORD workers felt
they needed to do something. They arranged a
puppet show in Kamala’s village depicting the
horrors of female feticide and gender
discrimination. The puppet show marked the
beginning of a new Female feticide program at
CORD. This program brings awareness to
villagers about the equality of men and women,
and prevents villagers from taking the life of a
female fetus. Through programs and
discussions, women are celebrated and respected
for their place in the community. 
Once the baby was brought back home, Ramesh
refused to support her. He told Sujata Devi that
because she wanted to keep the baby alive she
should support her. Sujata Devi accepted what he
said and requested to at least allow the baby to
receive her mother’s love for a few months. But
after his fourth daughter was born, Ramesh
received a good government job and took his
daughter’s birth as a sign of good luck. He also
stopped drinking and improved his life for the
better.
Today, Ramesh and Kamala are living happily with
their three girls. Kamala is a CORD worker and
she brings awareness about female feticide at
Mahila Mandal (Village Women’s Group) meetings.
CORD continues to work on this issue and change
deeply engrained mentalities of the villagers of
Kangra District. Through the Female feticide
program, CORD has begun to train ‘Resource
Volunteers.’ These Resource Volunteers are
trained in how to bring awareness about female
feticide and gender discrimination within their
own village.
Sheila
Kumari from Dhaloo and Beena Devi from Hatwas
are both Resource Volunteers who have attended
training at CORD. After receiving training, they
decided to do something about female feticide
and female discrimination in their own villages.
Sheila Kumari helped a poor woman who had
already had a daughter but then got pregnant
again. Everyone in her family and village wanted
her to get an ultrasound and abort the fetus if
it was a female. Sheila Kumari convinced them
not to get an ultrasound and instead to save
that money. Not only was an ultrasound
expensive, but getting one could result in a
large fine. The fine existed to prevent
selective abortion of female fetuses. The family
realized that having a girl was not a burden,
but rather a joy. They deposited the money they
saved into a bank account so that they could
spend it on the girl when she grew up. Sheila
Kumari has educated her community and also made
them aware of the consequences of an ultrasound.
She has even insisted that the Panchayat Pradhan
(President of the local governing body) enforce
the fine of getting an ultrasound without
exception.
The traditional custom of a son lighting the
funeral pyre of his parents is still upheld
today. This is another reason why many couples
prefer to have a son over a daughter. Beena
Devi’s brother had three daughters. When Beena’s
brother passed away, there was no son to light
the fire. This caused a great debate in the
village. But Beena Devi insisted that the eldest
daughter carry on the custom of lighting the
pyre. Beena Devi brought awareness to her
village that females are just as capable as
males to carry on traditional customs.
Generations of male dominance has led to the
discrimination of females. Even before they are
born, the lives of females are belittled and
their existence is unwanted. However, CORD with
the help of Resource Volunteers, seeks to uplift
the image of women and empower them. The stories
of Kamala, Sheila Kumari, and Beena Devi all
show the desire among the villagers to reverse
long held beliefs and customs.
NOTE: The names of the characters have been
changed.
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