Selective Discrimination against Female Children in Rural Punjab, India

Abstract

South Asia is well known as being a region of the world where the normally higher number of females than males in the total population is reversed. Among the Indian states historically Punjab in the Northwest has had the most imbalanced sex ratios. The excessive mortality of females that this reflects is commonly hypothesized to be due to discrimination against females particularly female children relative to males in the allocation of food and health care within the household. This article examines the hypothesis that discrimination against girls is not generalized but rather is closely related to individual parents family-building strategies. It goes on to explore the mechanisms--allocation of food clothing and medical expenses--whereby these differentials in mortality are brought about. Finally it examines the reasons why son preference is so strong in Punjab society. The data support the hypothesis that sex bias is not generalized but focused on higher birth order girls. Sex differentials by birth order are far stronger than those by socioeconomic status. Moreover these differentials show a remarkable persistence in the face of socioeconomic development mortality decline and fertility decline. In fact fertility decline appears to heighten such selective discrimination. Interestingly womens education is associated with reduced child mortality but stronger discrimination against higher birth order girls. This strong underlying preference for sons appears to be the outcome of womens structural marginalization in this culture which results in their being of low value to their parents.