The Unheard Cries: A Fight Against Female Foeticide

The room was silent, except for the rhythmic beeping of the ultrasound machine. A doctor studied the screen, his face unreadable. The young mother-to-be, her hands nervously clutching her belly, waited for the news. But before she could ask, her husband’s voice cut through the silence.

"Is it a boy?"

The doctor hesitated. Then, in a lower voice, he confirmed what the father didn’t want to hear. It was a girl.

The mother’s heart swelled with love and anticipation. But her husband’s expression darkened. The excitement in his eyes faded, replaced by a cold calculation. Later that evening, behind closed doors, the discussions began—talks of ending the pregnancy, of "trying again," of not "wasting" resources on a girl.

Another life, full of promise and potential, was about to be stolen.

The Silent Genocide

This is not just a story. This is reality for millions of unborn girls across the world. Female foeticide—the deliberate abortion of a fetus simply because it is female—is a silent genocide.

According to the United Nations, over 140 million girls are missing globally due to sex-selective abortions. In countries like India and China, gender ratios have been severely skewed, leading to grave social consequences—an increase in human trafficking, forced marriages, and crimes against women.

But the impact goes beyond statistics. Every girl lost to foeticide is a life unfulfilled. A doctor who could have saved lives. A teacher who could have inspired generations. A leader who could have changed the world.

A Future Without Daughters

Imagine a world without women. Without sisters, mothers, daughters, and wives. A world where men outnumber women, where loneliness, crime, and societal breakdown become the norm. A world where half the population is missing—not by accident, but by choice.

This is not some dystopian future; it is the reality we are heading toward if female foeticide continues unchecked.

Why Does It Happen?

• Deep-rooted Patriarchy: The belief that a boy carries the family name while a girl is a "burden."
• Dowry System: The fear of financial strain associated with marrying off a daughter.
• Societal Pressure: Families are often ridiculed for having "too many" daughters.
• Misuse of Technology: Prenatal sex determination, illegal in many countries, is still widely practiced in secret.

The Power to Change the Narrative

The solution doesn’t lie in laws alone. It starts with us.

• Celebrate the birth of daughters the same way we do for sons.
• Educate communities about the value of girls and their contributions to society.
• Provide financial support for families with daughters, removing economic fears.
• Report illegal sex-determination clinics and raise awareness.
• Encourage women’s education and employment, proving that daughters are assets, not liabilities.

Be the Voice. Be the Change.

If you are reading this, you have the power to make a difference.

• Speak up when you hear discriminatory comments.
• Support organizations fighting against female foeticide.
• Teach your children equality, so they grow up to be champions of change.

A girl’s life is not less valuable than a boy’s. She is strength. She is intelligence. She is the future.If we do not act now, we risk losing generations of women—and with them, the heart and soul of our society.

Choose life. Choose daughters. Because a world without girls is a world without a future. If this message touched you, share it. Raise your voice. Spread awareness. Let’s protect our daughters—born and unborn.

Jyothi Lekshmi, IT Program Manager, Mrs India 2025 Finalist, aspiring lifestyle blogger/writer,Canada NB