The practice of terminating a pregnancy based on the sex of the foetus is a deeply troubling issue that continues to spark fierce debate in the UK. While widely condemned, it persists, driven by complex social pressures rather than free choice.
The BPAS Guidance and the Legal Grey Area
Central to the current controversy is the guidance provided by the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS). The charity states on its website that the 'law is silent on the matter' of sex-selective abortions. Critics argue this amounts to gaslighting vulnerable women who may be under immense familial pressure, by presenting the practice as being in a legal grey area when it is, in their view, clearly illegal.
Opponents of the practice insist that sex-selective termination has no place in a modern society and that the BPAS's position facilitates a corrosive custom. They stress that the law should be unequivocal in prohibiting abortions sought solely on the grounds of foetal sex, regardless of cultural background.
Cultural Pressures and the Devaluation of Girls
As Department of Health figures have indicated, gender-based abortions appear most prevalent within communities with heritage in the Indian subcontinent. The roots of this preference are often economic and social. In traditional patriarchal structures, boys are frequently prized as future breadwinners who will expand a family's influence.
Girls, conversely, can be seen as a financial burden due to the expectation of dowries and as potential sources of shame if they deviate from strict social codes. This can lead to intense pressure on a woman, particularly if she already has daughters, to ensure a subsequent pregnancy results in a son. The author recounts her mother's anxiety during a third pregnancy in Pakistan, after having two daughters, and the profound societal validation that came with finally bearing a son.
A Failure of Officialdom and Moral Courage?
A significant charge levelled is that official bodies and professionals exhibit a strange tolerance for this practice. The accusation is that a fear of being labelled racist prevents medics, social workers, and charity employees from asking necessary, probing questions of women from different cultural backgrounds.
This is compared by some to the moral cowardice seen in past failures to protect young white girls from Asian rape gangs, where cultural sensitivity was allegedly prioritised over victim protection. The argument follows that Western values must be upheld consistently, challenging harmful practices irrespective of their cultural context.
The ultimate tragedy, as highlighted, is that women are often not free agents in these decisions but are coerced by expectation, judgment, and even fear of divorce or violence. The debate continues over how best to protect these women and eradicate a practice that reduces female lives to a matter of social convenience.
