Like any societal issue, rather than just trying to curtail the number of cases by authoritarian methods, addressing the root causes of the problem by means such as empowering women in the state tend to have more far reaching effects. It was with this in mind that the MP from Bathinda and wife of Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister, Harsimrat Kaur Badal commenced the initiative Nanhi Chhaan-to save the girl child, four years ago on 28 August 2008.
While the sex ratio of the state has seen an improvement from being 791/1000 in 2001 to 848/1000 in 2012, between females and males, there is still a long way to go. "Many families have started celebrating lohri (a traditional festival to celebrate the birth of a male child) for baby girls," says Harsimrat.
"A decade ago, studies showed that every ninth household in Punjab was involved in this cruel practice. Every fifth girl child born in the state was killed and there have been reports of women having to go through as many as 14 abortions."
Deciding to lead the charge against this, Harsimrat helped launch this initiative that now has an active presence in schools, colleges, gurudwaras, temples, churches, panchayats and various municipal centres. Nanhi Chhaan assists in setting up self-help groups (SHGs) for women across the state that in turn spread awareness not only about female foeticide but also about other issues such as dealing with cancer, agriculture, farmer's issues, environmental issues and the ever depleting forest cover. The SHGs also help the women collectively set up small businesses and manage their savings in a more efficient manner.
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