Daughters are seen as burdens in Indian society as huge dowries have to be paid for their weddings. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made an emotional appeal to save female children. During his address in a national conference on the girl child in New Delhi he said discrimination against girls began in the Indian homes. He describes this as most inhuman, uncivilized and reprehensible. He said he was not making the appeal as Indian prime minister but as a ‘proud father of three daughters’.

Indian data shows that the female child sex ratio in the o to 6 age group has been decline over the past four decades.

Despite laws against foetal sex determination being implemented few years ago, female foeticide is widespread in India. Several cases of female infanticide have also been reported from various parts of the country every year.