Religious Leaders Seek End to Female Feticide
India’s top religious leaders came together in New Delhi to make a passionate plea to end a growing trend of aborting female fetuses, calling it “coldblooded murder.”
“Women are forced to abort their female fetus owing to family pressure, and the practice of dowry is responsible for this,” said Swami Agnivesh of the Arya Samaj, referring to the widespread South Asian practice of men demanding huge sums of money and gifts from the bride’s family during marriage.
The convention was organized jointly by the Indian Medical Assn., the National Commission of Women and UNICEF.
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