Rodrigues calls for checking female foeticide

Chandigarh, Feb 14 (UNI) Voicing serious concern over the growing incidents of female foeticide and the disturbing trend of declining girl child sex ratio Chandigarh Administrator Gen (Retd) S F Rodrigues impressed upon the social activists, members of the medical fraternity, educationists and opinion leaders to check this menace through active public-private partnership.

Inaugurating a Conference on eradication of female foeticide, organised by the Chandigarh Administration at UT State Guest House, here today, General Rodrigues called for stepping up collective action-oriented programmes to deal with this issue of vital social importance, with active involvement and mass participation.

"We have to commit ourselves to a more active role by contributing our time, knowledge, expertise and commitment in this societal endeavour," he added.

The Administrator further said that the Chandigarh Administration had launched programmes on child protection and reduction in maternal mortality rate, besides empowering the girl child and women, through vocational education.

"The process of making women economically self-reliant and effectively checking the incidents of female foeticide has been started, with the active involvement and participation of governmental and social voluntary organizations and activists," he said.

He said that various training programmes for the training of the women and girls had been started, in the rural areas of Union Territory and a responsive system is being evolved for marketing their products.

He said that a Medicity project is being launched in Chandigarh shortly and a special element will be training girls in nursing.

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