Female Infanticides Essay Example for Free

Female Infanticides Essay For many decades China has been carrying out brutal actions among female infants which are known to be female infanticides. Female infanticides started in 1957 when China’s Chairman Mao Zedong wanted the country’s population to stay under six million for many years (Jimmerson). Leaders then came to a realization that a long term action would have to take place. Therefore they proposed a law stating that a couple could only have one child and two at the most if the net household income increased (Jimmerson). When this law was proposed, families pushed for males, this led to a significant decrease in the female population in the rural areas of China. As women were starting to become pregnant under the new one child law, they wanted to give birth to males. Reasoning behind this was the males carried on the family name, they were the ones that honored their ancestors, and the ones to take care of their parents as they got older (Jimmerson). Because of the great demand for male babies the women sought to find out ultrasonically whether they were having a daughter or a son (Schorn). The woman would go to the closest village in her town where they do an ultrasound to figure out if she was having a baby girl or boy (Schorn). If the woman found out she was giving birth to a girl, she would do one of two things to get rid of the baby. She would either have a sex-selective abortion, or once the baby is born the family would neglected and mistreat the girl until she was killed. Sex-selective abortion is when the baby is killed inside the mother’s stomach before birth only because tests show that a female would be born. Then if the mother chose to keep the girl, in most cases she would be severely abused before the age of three (Banister). Those choices would be continuously made until the couple has a boy or if the couple gives up on having children. When they cannot have any more children because of age or just want to stop trying those are the only cases in which the girl stays alive and healthy (Lee). There are numerous ways that the Chinese neglect and kill the young girls of their society. Such ways include starvation, snapping of the spinal cord, wrapping tightly until uffocation occurs, poisoning, strangling, and even drowning (Shelton). Some families have been known to leave the baby girls in or near dumpsters. Chen Rong shared with BBC News her findings of five baby girls in a dumpster over a number of years. Rong said, â€Å"Another scavenger had taken her clothes and left the little girl to die I was the only one to pick her up; I could not see her die. † Rong has taken the little girls she has found back to her one- room brick shack and attempts to nourish them back to health (Brookes). If the little girls are found by Rong, that is their only chance at life. Rong is not the only citizen finding female infants in dumpsters. A premature infant that doctors said to be between 32 and 34 weeks old and was only three pounds was found in a plastic bag with the placenta and umbilical cord still attached (unknown author). Not only was the premature infant in a plastic bag with everything attached to her, but she had a cut in her throat that was about two inches deep and lead from the skin to her windpipe (unknown author). Since China has continued running its country under the one child law, the ratio of females to males has significantly decreased. According to the 1990 census there are 117 boys per 100 girls (Banister). Also the females of the country have a higher reported infant mortality rate at 118 (Banister). Also statistically there have been over four million births prevented (unknown author). China is calling this the Missing-Girl Phenomenon (Banister). No country should support or be involved with these disturbing actions, therefore 132 out of 196 countries are for eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and 68 countries are against torture and other cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment of punishment (Peck). Peck also says that, â€Å"All human beings are born free and equal†¦ No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel punishment. † Yet children are among those who suffer most from human rights abuse (Peck). Female infanticides are most common in China and India yet it still happens in Nepal, Great Britain, Canada, South Korea, and even the United States (Shelton). â€Å"When a child is born its race, gender, religious views, and culture determine its destiny† (Peck). No matter what country, gender, race, or religion, a child should not have to go through horrible torture like the children of China. Female infanticides are among the worst of all types of abuse out there in the world today. Still so many countries in the world are known for abusing innocent little children. Children should not be put into a situation at an age where they cannot make a decision on their own, nor should they have to face this horrible abuse no matter what age they are. Everyone deserves to live a care-free life.