Department of Health Continue to Dismiss the Experiences of Women in Limited Sex-Selective Abortion Review

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Department of Health Continue to Dismiss the Experiences of Women in Limited Sex-Selective Abortion Review.

Women’s groups are disappointed to see that the Department of Health continue to ignore the testimonies of women who have been coerced into procuring sex-selective abortions.

Yesterday the Department of Health released an annual analysis of gender birth ratios in Great Britain. The Department of Health study once again focuses on sex ratios for births, assessing whether sex-selective abortion is taking place on a large enough scale in individual subpopulations, that birth
ratios are significantly more than 107 boys born for every 100 girls within a community.

The problem with this analysis is that it does not establish whether sex-selective abortion is happening at a lower incidence, which would not necessarily appear in sex ratios beyond the threshold set in the analysis. Campaigners have repeatedly pointed out this very concerning limitation.

By again concentrating on gender birth ratios, the Department of Health have defined away the problem, and discounted the first-hand testimonies of survivors of sex-selective abortion, essentially dismissing them as they have before as illegitimate, and implying that such accounts are unworthy of active response.

This is unacceptable, and shows a failure to appreciate, let alone solve, this dire issue. We repeat our call therefore, for the Government to clarify the law so as to help end the reality of sex-selective abortion in British communities.

Rani Bilkhu founder of Jeena International and spokeswoman for www.stopgendercide.org said:

“Here we go again, another report that acts as justification for the Government’s failure to take account of and act on the personal testimonies of women who have been subject to the misogynistic pressures that have led to them having sex-selective abortions. That the Department of Health ignores these women’s suffering, and implies that they, and the organisations that are fighting for them, are liars, is appalling. We need far better responses from Government that will lay the ground for real action, to ensure that no woman ever has to experience this barbaric practice ever again. This is a gender equality issue. We need to look beyond the tired pro-life/pro-choice culture wars and get moving with tackling this problem now”.

ENDS

• For further information or to speak to our spokeswomen, please email info@stopgendercide.org
• To view the Department of Health’s Birth Ratios in Great Britain, 2010-14 analysis click here.