Public Servants Take Pledge on Eliminating Gender Biased Sex-Selection and Violence Against Women

Public Servants Take Pledge on Eliminating Gender Biased Sex-Selection and Violence Against Women

The Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt. Krishna Tirath along with the Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad and the public servants from the Ministries of Women and Child Development and Health and Family Welfare took a pledge to eliminate gender biased sex-selection and violence against women in all forms, here today.

Speaking at the occasion, Smt. Tirath said that sex selective abortion of female foetus is one of the main reasons for declining child sex ratio in the country. The sex ratio which was 927 in 2001 has fallen to 914 in 2011. She said that violence against women has increased, which is a cause of serious concern. This pledge is an initiative of the Ministry in the direction of eliminating gender-biased sex selection and violence against women in all forms. She further stated that 9th August, a day commemorated in the history of India as Quit India Movement, has been selected to symbolize the collective resolve of the Public Servants of India to make the social evil of sex selective abortion to ‘Quit India’. The Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad also stated that he has written to the hospitals and health care centres to take the pledge. He said that the issues of child malnutrition and sex biased abortions are national issues and need to be addressed by all.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development has written to all States and Union Territories and all Ministries and Departments of the Government of India to take this pledge today. In his letter, Sh. Prem Narain, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, has stated that the Public Servants have a significant role in arresting the decline in child sex ratio at all tiers of public governance, be it in prevention, advocacy, or in implementing the laws of the land that prohibit sex selective abortion. It is therefore important that the public servants are formally made aware of their role in lending a hand in this social cause.