On June 14 2011, the OHCHR, UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women and WHO issued a joint interagency statement which reaffirms the commitment of United Nations agencies to encourage and support efforts by States, international and national organizations, civil society and communities to uphold the rights of girls and women and to address the multiple manifestations of gender discrimination including the problem of imbalanced sex ratios caused by sex selection. It thus seeks to highlight the public health and human rights dimensions and implications of the problem and to provide recommendations on how best to take effective action. The Statement reviews the evidence behind the causes, consequences and lessons learned regarding “son preference” or sex selection favouring boys in many parts of South, East and Central Asia, where ratios as high as 130 boys for every 100 girls have been observed. Against the backdrop of intense pressure, women seek to discover the sex of a foetus through ultrasound. The discovery of a female foetus can then lead to its abortion. Sex selection can also take place before a pregnancy is established, or after the birth of a girl, through child neglect or infanticide. Over decades, the practice has caused a sex-ratio imbalance in many countries, particularly in South Asia, East Asia and Central Asia. There is also the possibility of an increase in violence against women resulting from such an imbalance. For instance, the lack of women available for marriage in some areas may lead to the trafficking of women for forced marriages from other regions or the sharing of brides among brothers. In some countries, pre-natal sex determination and disclosure are illegal, while others have laws banning abortion for sex selection. But such restrictions are also bypassed by the use of clandestine procedures, which may put women’s health in jeopardy. The statement proposes concrete steps to tackle the problem, including the collection of more reliable data on the extent of the problem and the factors driving it; guidelines on the use of technology for health professionals; supportive measures for girls and women, such as incentives for families with only daughters; and other legal and awareness-raising actions. The statement cites the Republic of Korea as one country where the preference for sons has been reduced through a combination of strategies, including attention to gender equality in laws and policies, advocacy, media campaigns and economic growth.
Access the Interagency Statement.
