Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

Female infanticide continues to be a source of concern

Udhagamandalam: The situation on the female infanticide front continued to be alarming, said the Chairperson, Tamil Nadu State Women’s Commission, K.M. Ramathal, here on Monday.

Addressing a press conference, she said that in places like Salem and Usilampati, the problem was severe. Lamenting that mere enactment of laws was not enough to check the pernicious practice, she said that the need of the hour was a change of mindset among the people. Many still believed that girls were a burden.

Adverting to the unhealthy male-female ratio in places like Salem, Ms. Ramathal said that notwithstanding the rules governing medical practitioners, results of scan reports pertaining to the sex of the babies were being surreptitiously revealed to the parents.

The Commission, which had come into being about 14 years ago, was now very active. Among the cases reported to its were those relating to dowry harassment, property disputes and marital disharmony.

To a question, she said that it was handling even cases associated with women harassing men. About 25 such complaints had been received. In order to increase awareness about the rights of women, a seminar would be organised shortly by the Commission in association with the State Legal Services Authority. Tamil Nadu ranked seventh in the country as far as crime against women was concerned.

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