Female infanticide: A blot on Jaisalmer

As the city of Jaisalmer, in the state of Rajasthan has gained the notoriety for its ruthless treatment towards girl child, several efforts are being made to end the evil practice of female infanticide here.

Among several efforts, the one which is being made by Maharani of Jaisalmer Raseshwari Rajya Laxmi to uplift the status of women might act as a harbinger of hope.

Talking about her initiatives to help the girl children in the state, Rajya Laxmi told ANI, "Along with an American NGO called Chithra, I am opening a school only for the girls and a center for women's empowerment with a larger agenda of benefitting more women in Jaisalmer."

Expressing her concern about the sex ratio and literacy rate of Jaisalmer, she said, "I came to Jaisalmer in 1993 when I got married. I have always been very interested in working for the development of women, especially girl children. The sex ratio in this part of the state is not something to be proud of and the literacy rate is also alarming."

It is not only in Jaisalmer but in entire Rajasthan, the instances of female foeticide have been concerning. If unofficial reports are to be believed, nearly 2500 cases of female infanticide take place in the state of Rajasthan every day.

The female infanticide in the state has also imbalanced the child sex ratio. The sex ratio in Jaisalmer itself is alarming as there are less than 850 girls for every 1,000 boys.

According to a study published in British medical journal The Lancet, around five lakh female foetuses are estimated to be aborted each year in India.