Excess under-age-60 female mortality in less developed countries is estimated to add up to 3.9 million missing women worldwide, according to the World Bank. A large proportion of this is due to sex-selective abortion practices. The practice occurs most commonly among poorer families in societies where boy children are given greater economic and social status than girl children. In such a context, the transition to smaller families can lead parents to choose boys over girls. Notably, female fetuses are most likely to be aborted when the first child born is a girl.
Read Full Article »
