In
November 2006, CSR looked to intensify its interventions on the
issue of female foeticide, and therefore began an awareness raising campaign in Delhi
amongst the local community and students at different
institutions
to fight against the menace of
female foeticide.
Our
campaign, which operates "from campus to community" has
been active in 7 colleges in Delhi University, at Jawaharlal Nehru
University (JNU) and the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT),
as well as in the 6 areas around Delhi which surround our Crisis
Intervention Centres.
Amongst
students, our campaign is known as "Stop Sex Selection, Make
Equality Happen". Our objective is to make students
aware of the role which their social group plays in this problem, and to ask
them to really question why it is the girl
child is valued so much less: by their country, their community,
their family and even by them themselves. Nearly everyone agrees
that female foeticide is a terrible problem, but who will take it
upon themselves to instigate a change? Who will be responsible?
We began our
campaigning
work through the traditional activities of putting up posters,
distributing pamphlets and badges, sponsoring street play competitions, making
banners and organising a large peaceful gathering at India Gate in
December.
However,
though an essential part of any campaign, we have decided that such
traditional interventions alone are not enough to create a change in
the mindset of individuals who practice this. Therefore we have been
working with our student volunteers to formulate more
innovative communication interventions, some of which we hope to be
able to implement in the forthcoming academic year 07-08. Recently
students at NIFT ran a t-shirt designing competition, which produced
some excellent design outcomes, 3 of which were selected to be
printed into t-shirts which are now being sold by the students
themselves to their peers. Both those who focused their energy on
the designing task and those who now are wearing the t-shirt have
and continue to engaged with this issue in a more in-depth way than
previously.
The
need to sensitise this section of the population is great; the young
are more receptive to change, and contrary to popular belief,
sex-selective abortion is most prevalent amongst the urban educated
professionals not the rural poor. University students have to be a
priority, we cannot assume that with education comes an inner
reflection on social problems such as gender inequality and son
preference which are so deeply ingrained in this society.
By having the courage to stand up to
social pressure and not abort female
foetuses; this generation of students can set the tone for
years to come and help to re-educate their parents, in-laws,
grandparents, siblings and all those who have a vested interest in
the gender balance of the family. CSR does not regard aborting
female foetuses as a 'private' 'family' matter but as an issue which
has to be abolished with intense 'publicity'. To fight female
foeticide we need people of all ages to stand together against it,
and to enter into debate; giving a voice to a silenced issue.
Individuals can make a difference.
PLEASE
JOIN US IN OUR INITIATIVE...
STOP
SEX SELECTION. MAKE EQUALITY HAPPEN.
If
you are interested in becoming a university or community volunteer,
or for more
information
about the campaign, please contact:
Kate
Futcher
or
Vignesh
S
CENTRE
FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH
2,
Nelson Mandela Marg,
Vasant Kunj,
New Delhi – 110070
Tel:
26899998, 26125583
Email:
stopsexselection@csrindia.org
