Woman and Endangered Species

WOMAN An Endangered Species? Aristotle, in ancient Greece, counseled men on techniques to guarantee the birth of a son. The Talmud similarly advises husbands on how to ensure that a son is born. Even in a land like India where women are worshiped as gods, the Indian family is preoccupied with the male child. His arrival into the family is heralded with great jubilation and rejoicing. The daughter, on the other hand, is considered a burden that only few care to carry. Bringing up a daughter is taken to be like watering a plant in someone else's house, because although the parents educate and nurture her; to say in short, spend money on her; ultimately she will be married and go to somebody else. She will be an asset for somebody else's home. She is therefore "alien property". This book is a collection of articles written by various individuals expressing their concern towards the missing millions of this great nation where women are worshipped as gods, yet the Indian family is preoccupied with the male child. They still seem to suffer from the 'perennial' disease, 'son stroke'. Sensitized citizens and youth must start a movement against this on slaughter on female child. The country must produce more Nisha Sharma's to counter the menace of dowry. Mary Scaria scjm, is an advocate of the Supreme Court of India. She is also the co-ordinator of the Justice & Peace Commission, Delhi Archdiocese. She is the author of many books such as; Law & Your Rights, Human Rights: A Close Look, Minorities in the Present Political Scenario, Maid in Hell, The Unknown Face of the Church.... Contents Forward Introduction Part -1 1. And then there were none 2. Women & Crime 3. Concern over female foeticide 4. Dubious choice 5. A Price for life 6. Pre-natal tests: Supreme Court seeks fresh reports from the States 7. Can the cradles save Dharyapuri girls? 8. Female foeticide on the increase in India 9. Women dies while undergoing abortion 10. Govt to expand sex tests ban 11. Female foeticide in IVF Punjab 12. The long Road ahead 13. Dead before they are born 14. Travails of the girl child 15. Womb raiders 16. Grooms go begging in Haryana 17. Whoese womb is it always 18. Girls at adoption centers have reasons to smile 19. Foeticide slur on posh Delhi 20. Girls: God's blessing or man's burden 21. Female illiteracy-Gender inequality to realize a distant Dream 16. Percentage of Girls in school environment by stages in India 1950-51 & 95-96 17. Evil Practice Of Dowry 18. Ancient practice of dowry perpetuates violence against women in India 26. Women Daughter Burnt For Dowry 27. Tortured By In-Laws, Girl Loses Mental Balance 28. Booked For Demanding Dowry 29. Dowry Harassment Force Women To Commit Suicide 19. 'Father Killed Her' 30. Wife Set Ablaze For Dowry Dies 31. Dowry Case: Man Given Life Term For Killing Wife 32. Women Burnt To Death 33. Dowry Victime Couldn't Take It Any More 34. In- Laws Kill Woman For Dowry 35. Women set ablaze by in-laws 36. Lectures, parents accused of torturing women for dowry 36. Dowry Deaths, Abuse Against Women on Rise 37. Four booked in dowry death case 38. Dowry death on the rise in city 39. Spot light on Dowry and bride burning 40. Life term for dowry 41. Case against Cop for dowry death 42. Dowry cases on the rise 43. From candle to grave 44. Deep-rooted disease 48. What the law says 49. The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961 50. Nothing official about dowry 51. Sati in Panna, shielded by faithful and witnessesd by sons 52. Probe ordered into sati 53. Shameful NCW 54r Sati incident Figures in M.P Assembly 55. Crime called Sati 56. Woman was forced to jump into pyre: Govt 57. Truth loses its way when Bangle cracks 58. Sexual assault on women 59. Report on perpetrator of the crime 60. Case study 61. Incest rape 62. Ratio Showing Persons Involved in the Crime 63. Wide gap 64. Long delays 65. Even convicts detests rapists 66. Punishment for rape Part - II 67. Violence against women-mental health and human right perspective 68. Equality & development: Gender issues in India 69. The socio- cultural Ethos of gender bias 70 Marriage - A Retail Outlet 71. Rooted Custom 72. Are our Sisters & daughters for sale 73. Female foeticide Part - II 74. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) 75. The Domestic Violence Against Women (prevention) Act, 2005 76. Appendix 77. Index 78. Abbreviations