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Female feticide is the termination of pregnancy on the basis of the female sex of a fetus. Thus, for Orthodox Christian ethicists, female feticide is gender-based abortion and, as such, is seen as an evil. A fetus’s right to life outweighs the parents’ rights to wealth, pride, or convenience, whether the fetus is male or female. This growing problem has replaced female infanticide as a means to avoid having unwanted reduce or eliminate female offspring. In the modern era, one might be surprised to find that such a barbaric practice still exists. However, in societies where women’s women's status is very low, some many female fetuses are rejected as “better off dead.” Thus, perhaps 300 at least 100 million of the total number of aborted female fetuses that never get born are have been victims of female feticide. (This number is based on a predicted ratio of boy-to-girl births, and does not take into account the male and female fetuses that are aborted for non-gender -based reasons.)The practice of female feticide denies the purpose of all human life—l salvation through transformation in the image of God. An aborted fetus is denied this transformation in its fullest sense. Therefore, the Orthodox Church, which exists “for the life of the world,” has an ethical responsibility to respond to the economic, societal, and religious causes of female feticide and to care for those who suffer from its effects.

==History==Many nationspeople groups, East both eastern and Westwestern, have a history of infanticide. For thousands of years, parents have exterminated baby girls by poisoning, strangling, or burying them alive. This practice decreased in the Greco-Roman world, as Christianity flourished, ¹ and is nearly non-existent in the West, today.In countries such as China and India, the practice of infanticide had continued into the 20th century. However, the 1970’s saw a dramatic drop in girl-to-boy ratio in India, when abortion was legalized and ultrasound technology enabled families to determine the sex of their child by the fourth month of pregnancy. By 2005 the ratio slipped to 814 girls for every 1,000 boys, as opposed to the natural rate of 952 girls for every 1,000 boys.

Current Global Status According to the British medical journal Lancet, approximately 50 million girl fetuses have been victims of Female Feticidefeticide in China. In India the number is estimated at 43 million.&sup2 Approximately seven million more are credited to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, and South Korea. Because China and India account for 40% of the world's population, an imbalance in these two countries alone has a profound impact on global population statistics.³ According to a December 2007 UNICEF report, India is "missing" 7,000 girls per day, or 2.5 million each year.

In China==Case Study: India&sup4;=====Traditional Practices of India===The life of a woman in India is often marked by such disrespect that some feel it is better for the family, fifty million and even for the baby girl fetuses have been victims , that she not be born. Perhaps the greatest factor in this is the practice of feticidedowries. In India One slogan of the number female feticide industry is estimated at forty-three"better 500 rupees now [for an abortion] rather than 50,000 rupees later [for a dowry]. Approximately seven million more are credited to Afghanistan" The first amount equals about $11 (USD), Pakistanthe second about $1, Nepal, and South Korea100. As China and India account for 40% has a longstanding tradition of requiring a wife's family to support her financially in her marriage. This begins with a dowry of extraordinary sums of the world’s populationcash, gold, an imbalance in these two countries affects the entire worldand goods.

Traditional Practices ==Global Effects of IndiaFemale Feticide==All countries where female feticide is practiced are at risk for being caught in a vicious circle. Female feticide leads to low female-to-male ratios, which in turn perpetuates low status of women. Conversely, low status of women leads to more female feticide.

Rodney Stark, in ''The life Rise of a woman in India is often marked by such disrespect that some feel it is better for the family, and even for the baby girlChristianity'', points out that she not be born. Perhaps one of the greatest factor in this is ways Christianity revolutionized the practice status of dowrieswomen in Greco-Roman society was by opposing all infanticide. One slogan Stark cites the social scientific work of Guttentag and Secord "linking cross-cultural variations in the female feticide industry is “‘better 500 rupees now [for an abortion] rather than 50,000 rupees later [for a dowry]’. The first amount is about $11; the second is $1,100.” India has a longstanding tradition status of requiring a wife’s family women to support her financially, cross-cultural variations in her marriagesex ratios. .. This begins with a dowry of extraordinary sums of cash, gold, and goods. Defenders of this system point out To the extent that a dowry takes the place of inheritancemales outnumber females, which some women will be enclosed in India do not receiverepressive sex roles as men treat them as 'scarce goods. However' Conversely, in many cases to the groom’s parents take possession of extent that females outnumber males ... women will enjoy relatively greater power and freedom." As the dowry and do not set any ratio of it aside for the bride’s future use. Furthermorewomen to men increased, the bride’s family’s responsibilities extend women came to further supporting the new family enjoy higher status in substantial ways, beyond the initial dowry. Some Indian castes even require society as a wife’s family to cover her funeral expenses. Some brides have been rejected by the groom’s families and even killedwhole, because their families did not meet only amongst the groom’s family’s expectations for dowry. All these cultural factors act as disincentives for Indian families to permit their girl babies to be borngrowing proportion of Greco-Romans who were Christians.&sup5;

Who All countries where female feticide is Responsible?practiced are at risk for falling into this vicious circle. Therefore, it is especially urgent for Orthodox Christians to respond to female feticide.

This ethical =Response to Female Feticide=There are a number of possible responses to the worldwide problem goes along with economic growthof female feticide. It The most fundamental response is to decry the practice of abortion and the wealthy families circumstances that can afford ultrasounds and abortionslead women to resort to it as their best option. The hypocrisy of abortion rights advocates is revealed by their denouncing of the female feticide. It is as if a woman's "rights" to an abortion depend on her motives. If uncheckedshe chooses an abortion for financial, social, or personal reasons, she is supported. However, if her choice is gender-based, it is condemned. The very naming of gender-based abortion as female feticide reveals a double standard. Abortion is supported as a fundamental right, but that right is revoked when it coincides with gender discrimination. In India, a proposed nationwide network of orphanages would take in unwanted girl babies. This is a merciful response to the symptom of the problem will grow in proportion , but it does not seek to treat the Indian economyproblem itself. Some radiologists and obstetricians in India oppose female feticide vocally, while others oppose it silently. The parties responsible What distinguishes female feticide from the problem of abortion in this genocide include parentsgeneral is a lack of due respect, Indian status, and freedom to women in society. Therefore, Indian government the Orthodox Christian response to female feticide must involve changing the way society envisions the relationship of women and religious leadersmen in the home and in society. As women's status increases, worldwide consumers, trade partnersfemale feticide will decrease, and allies increasing the status of India, and corporations such as GE who supply many ultrasound machines that are used primarily for purposes women will likewise decrease the practice of female feticide.

The problem of female feticide has results in Indian and throughout the world3. Thirty-six percent of men between 15-45 in the wealthy state of Haryana are unmarried. The prevalence of unmarried men has a destabilizing effect that counteracts the stabilizing and enriching effects of families in a society. The poorer of these unmarried men seek brides from India’s economically challenged eastern states, and wives obtained in this way tend to be exploited and in some cases passed on from one husband to the next. sex trafficking, The sex "India's imbalance in India will have an increasingly destabilizing effect on a consumer of U.S. nuclear and other military technology. India’s economy promises to continue growing rapidly in the future, as currently thriving industries such as information technology grow and expand throughout India. It remains to be seen whether India’s moral character will keep pace with its economic growth.Rodney Starksexes, " in ''The Rise of ChristianityWashington Times'', points out that one of the ways Christianity revolutionized the status of women in Greco-Roman society was by opposing all infanticide. Stark cites the social scientific work of Guttentag and SecordFebruary 26, “linking cross-cultural variations in the status of women to cross-cultural variations in sex ratios. […] To the extent that males outnumber females, women will be enclosed in repressive sex roles as men treat them as ‘scarce goods.’ Conversely, to the extent that males outnumber females… women will enjoy relatively greater power and freedom.” As the ratio of women to men increased, women came to enjoy higher status in the society as a whole, not only amongst the growing proportion of Greco-Romans who were Christians.If an increase in ratio of women to men brings higher status to women, a decrease in this ratio risks the opposite effect. Thus, the decrease in the boy-to-girl birth ratio, itself the result of the low status of women in Indian society, risks a sharp further decrease in the status of women from bad to worse. The danger is a vicious cycle bringing continually greater female feticide and lowering of the status of women in Indian society.It seems that China and the other countries where female feticide is practiced are likewise at risk for falling into this vicious cycle. The possibility of this vicious cycle makes it even more urgent for Orthodox Christians to respond to female feticide2007.

In India, a proposed nationwide network of orphanages would take in unwanted girl babies. This is a merciful response to the symptom of the problem, but it does not seek to treat the problem. ==Links== Some radiologists and obstetricians in India oppose female feticide vocally, while others oppose it silentlyhttp://en. There are a number of possible responses to the worldwide problem of female feticidewikipedia. The most fundamental response is to decry the practice of abortion and the circumstances that lead women to resort to it as their best option. The hypocrisy of abortion rights advocates is revealed by their denouncing of the female feticide. It is as if a woman’s “rights” to an abortion depend on her motives. If she chooses an abortion for financial, social, or personal reasons, she is supported. However, if her choice is gender-based, it is condemned. The very naming of genderorg/wiki/Sex-based abortion as female feticide, reveals a double standard. Abortion is supported as a fundamental right, but that right is revoked when it coincides with gender-discrimination. What distinguishes female feticide from the problem of abortion in general is a lack of due respect, status, and freedom to women in Indian society. Therefore, the treatment of the problem of gender-specific abortion, or female feticide, must confront changing of the way society envisions the relationship of women and men in the home, and in society. As women’s status increases, female feticide will decrease, and vice versa.selective_abortion

http://www.washtimes.com/world/20070226-124608-6785r.htm http://www.washtimes.com/world/20070226-115011-6073r.htm http://www.washtimes.com/world/20070228-113751-7882r.htm ==Further reading==*''The Rise of Christianity'', Rodney Stark, Princeton University Press (1997)*''May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons'', Elizabeth Bumiller.*''Woman, An Endangered Species?'', Mary Scaria. [[Category:Ethics]]