A father of five daughters attacked his wife to find out the sex of the fetus • The baby died, and she was hospitalized in critical condition • Every year hundreds of thousands of gender-based pregnancies are stopped in the country
"Every year millions of unwanted women are born"
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A man from northern India, a father of five daughters, attacked his pregnant wife.
He allegedly cut her abdomen with a sickle to find out the sex of the baby she was carrying in her womb.
The baby died a day after the horrific act, and the woman was rushed from the state of Uttar Pradesh to a hospital in New Delhi, in a serious condition.
"He attacked her with a sickle and tore her abdomen, saying he wanted to know the sex of the fetus," the woman's brother said.
Indian police said after the incident: "The man who committed the act is in custody, until he is brought to trial."
Although the law prohibits abortion on the basis of sex, it is estimated that hundreds of thousands of pregnancies with female fetuses are terminated in the country every year.
Beyond that, many couples continue to try to have a male child even if they have daughters - and thus millions of unwanted women are born into their families every year.
This fact explains why every year an average of 239,000 girls up to the age of five die due to neglect and poor care.
Also, for every 100 women born in India, 107 men are born - in contrast to the world average, which stands at 105 men for every 100 women.
In Indian society, severe discrimination is practiced on the basis of gender inequality.
The cruel reality towards women in India stems from a perception found in the ignorant regions that the wife is an economic burden, and her role is to serve the husband.
In addition, women are required to bring a large dowry when they get married, and are unable to inherit the family fortune.