In the last a few years, female foeticide is finding an increasing favour in Valley.

The general. belief is that women opt for this barbarian action out of compulsion. The fact, however, is contrary to this. There is usually no pressure from the in-laws as is often held forth as the main cause for this practice: Women, according to a reliable survey, have been found to be driven by their own preference for the male child. An inbuilt social mindset which generally views female child as a liability also spurs this decision.

A recently published project report titled 'Multi-dimensional Problems of Women in the Kashmir Valley' sponsored by Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, and supervised by a leading sociologist Dr. Bashir A. Dabla also endorses this view. The report shys that women in Kashmir opt for this ... practice voluntarily ... The report, however, underlines a sharp polarization in the society ... While a sizeable group of women favour female foeticide, rest of the society strongly opposes it ..

The study also ... reveals the discrimination against girl-child .. (Source: The Greater Kashmir, 16 August, 2000)