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In reply to the discussion: Even if you're a "touchy, feely" guy, do NOT put your hands on a woman without her permission. [View all]Hekate
(93,599 posts)...from India. Probably being in a University town has something to do with it, but even so.
My educational background as an undergrad in the late 1960s was Asian and Pacific history -- this is mostly relevant because it means I maintained an interest, and when the Los Angeles Times or similar reputable publication has an in-depth article I read it. Professors were not covering women's issues as such at the time (1968-1971) where I was, but I gravitated in that direction. Women's issues, reproductive health, public health, religion, those kinds of things.
Sadly, I think things have changed since 1960, when you left. As you are aware, there are cultures where sons are much more desirable than daughters, and this is not unique to India. There are many reasons, one of which is to have a retirement plan for the parents in the absence of a Social Security system. Daughters leave when they marry; sons stay.
China had a strict one-child policy for several decades, brutally enforced, that led to a terrible imbalance between men and women. India had its own pressures to encourage smaller families and restrain population growth, though nothing like China's authoritarian government enforced scheme.
If I understand correctly, what India finally had were readily available sonogram machines at village clinics that could determine the sex of the fetus. Imagine a married couple wanting to limit the size of their family and so enhance their prosperity and the prospects for their children. Imagine realizing they did not have to leave the gender of their children up to chance.
As a consequence, between India and China there are about 70 million "missing women," which creates far-reaching social consequences including loneliness and inability to ever get married. I apologize that I can't cite more from the article below than its link, but every time I try to go to a new page on my iPad while composing a post, it tries to erase whatever I am writing.
Here's an article from the Toronto Star last year:
https://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2018/05/05/too-many-men-examining-the-gender-imbalances-of-india-and-china.html