Study finds gender imbalance in children born to Indo-Canadian women

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Oling_Roachinen

Why though?

I love the irony here though. The reason they are aborting females is because males are more valued in their culture. In order to try and "fix" that, you want to try and control what Indian women are able to do with their own bodies.

Of course it would never ever happen.

It comes down to economics. Males are seen as more valuable because discrimination against females exists. Males tend to have higher earning potential. Not just in Indo communities for that matter, but I find that Indo-Canadians put a lot of importance of gaining and accumulating wealth.

The solution is to ensure equality for women in our society, and especially in communities that are really resisting it (like the Indo-Canadian communities).

Or you could have a tax on baby boys (not really serious).

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

I find that Indo-Canadians put a lot of importance of gaining and accumulating wealth.

Uhhhhh...

[Nyah]

I may be in the minority, but I think if a woman wants to have an abortion because she doesn’t want a boy/girl, she should be able to. Also correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think women has to disclose the reason they’re getting an abortion. If a country is going to legislate abortion and make it available to its citizens as an option, you can’t add caveats later even if you think the reason for the abortion is morally wrong. Who gets to decide that abortion based on gender is worse or better than abortion based on a mental or physical handicap, or that gender based abortion is worse or better than having an abortion because you simply don’t want a kid? Who decides what kind of abortion is okay and what kind of abortion is not okay? The results would vary depending on who you ask. Abortion is legal in Canada, and I don’t think that’s a debate I ever want to see reopened for any reason.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

The solution is to ensure equality for women in our society, and especially in communities that are really resisting it (like the Indo-Canadian communities).

Bingo. The only real solution happens to be the best one. As stated in the article, things are moving in that direction (noted by the mentioned hospital that makes sure to celebrate baby girls in the same way baby boys are celebrated in their culture).

It's not really an easy fix, but the solution is continuing to celebrate the rights and equality of women, while continuing to dismantle the male centric power structure that still exists in a lot of areas.

Eventually you just cease any need for gender preference, and you don't even have to place unecessary restrictions on abortion and a woman's body to do it.

As much as it doesn't seem like it, restricting the reveal of sex until an abortion isn't possible is insidious and purposefully restrictive to women's rights. They have the right to know everything that can be known about what they're carrying, and backtracking technology to limit their options is a direct assault on those rights.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

I can't imagine actually wanting a boy.

What do you mean?


You have a preference for girl over boy?


All I wanted was a healthy baby and wife.

[OutOfTheCube]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

What do you mean?


You have a preference for girl over boy?


All I wanted was a healthy baby and wife.

I'm happy to have two boys. Less stress -- I'd be worrying about girls all the time.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by OutOfTheCube

I'm happy to have two boys. Less stress -- I'd be worrying about girls all the time.

I couldn't envision not having a daughter.


I agree it is pressure, it is on me & my wife to raise a physically, mentally,
and emotionally strong individual. I like to think we are well on the way to attaining that aim.


But end of the day, healthy baby is all I wanted.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Uhhhhh...

It's true, at least when it comes to displaying wealth. I moved out to Vancouver after high school and had several Indian friends and they were always competing with each other when it came to who had the nicer things. They wouldn't compete with their white fiends. I drove a 1980 dented Volvo and never got bugged once, but those guys would rag on each other over who had the nicer BMWs and suits, to the point some would get seriously offended. One of the guys I knew even had other male relative temporarily give him money to pad his bank account so he could get financing for a sports car in order to keep the family image up.

There is somewhat of a caste system and males are seen as the road to increase your status. Wealth is also justified by some as divine:

https://swarajyamag.com/culture/plac...nd-comparisons

In fact, jewelry for women also as cultural and religious importance typically not seen in Western culture. If you are very traditional, women need to decorated in expensive jewels to increase their attractiveness. In Western culture, they are seen as more of a luxury than something of cultural importance.

http://www.culturalindia.net/jewelle...nificance.html

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

I'm now in the awkward position of being the guy who generally wants to get people to slow their roll in jumping to allegations of racist biases, but... dude. Read what you just wrote and replace "Indian" with "Jew". See how this gets a bit uncomfortable?

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

It's true, at least when it comes to displaying wealth. I moved out to Vancouver after high school and had several Indian friends and they were always competing with each other when it came to who had the nicer things. They would't compete with their white fiends. I drove a 1980 dented Volvo and never got bugged once, but those guys would rag on each other over who had the nicer BMWs and suits.

I think you can say the same about any group. My pals, the whitest bunch of fellows ever, did exactly the same thing. It wasn't BMWs and suits (it was pickup trucks and mountain bikes and girlfriends) but the competition was there.

People, and teenage boys especially, are competitive.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

I think you can say the same about any group. My pals, the whitest bunch of fellows ever, did exactly the same thing. It wasn't BMWs and suits (it was pickup trucks and mountain bikes and girlfriends) but the competition was there.

Every group seems to have something that they use to try and visually increase their status, that is true. For some white people, it is like you said. Or where I went to school, it was about Ski-doos.

[CliffFletcher]

The paradox of multi-culturalism: Diversity is promoted as a positive ideal, but it's taboo to suggest cultures have different values,

If all cultures are the same, what possible qualities do multiple cultures bring to the table?

[GGG]

How does this effect change with generations of indo-Canadians in Canada?

If in each generation it diminishes then it's not really an issue. Personally I don't see this as any different than any abortion not done to save the life of the mother. Unwanted, unwanted because it's handicapped, or uneanted because of gender doesn't seem much different. It's all a pretty disgusting act.

That said, it's not something you reduce by making sex selective or any abortion illegal. Prevention of pregnancy and promotion of equality should be the method of reducing abortions in general and these specific abortions.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

What do you mean?


You have a preference for girl over boy?


All I wanted was a healthy baby and wife.

Honestly, yes. My experiences in life at a young age and throughout have made me seriously uncomfortable with masculinity. I'm not super keen on being a parent anyway but my dislike for boys pretty much took the fun out of the whole concept for me. I would never select through abortion. I'd adopt though. But I could never get to the place most people get to where they just want a healthy whatever.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by OMG!WTF!

Honestly, yes. My experiences in life at a young age and throughout have made me seriously uncomfortable with masculinity. I'm not super keen on being a parent anyway but my dislike for boys pretty much took the fun out of the whole concept for me. I would never select through abortion. I'd adopt though. But I could never get to the place most people get to where they just want a healthy whatever.

I am sorry to hear that you dealt with some poor experiences.

[Nsd1]

Originally Posted by GGG

How does this effect change with generations of indo-Canadians in Canada

From my experiences, first and second generation Punjabi Indo-Canadians don't have a preference to the sex of the baby. I don't have kids myself but my friends and family who do, never had a discussion about having to have a boy. Some people are stuck in backwards traditions. My parents always said that they would have loved to have a daughter but instead got stuck with two sons.

[afc wimbledon]

I'd much rather that women had abortions as soon as they find out the sex of a fetus than the alternative which used to happen where female babies where left out to die.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I'd much rather that women had abortions as soon as they find out the sex of a fetus than the alternative which used to happen where female babies where left out to die.

Yeah well that's not likely to happen in Canada.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Yeah well that's not likely to happen in Canada.

Used to be fairly routine in East Vancouver twenty years ago.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

I'm now in the awkward position of being the guy who generally wants to get people to slow their roll in jumping to allegations of racist biases, but... dude. Read what you just wrote and replace "Indian" with "Jew". See how this gets a bit uncomfortable?

It wouldn't even make sense if you replaced the words. The racist allegations against Jews is that they control and hoard the wealth, not that they like to gain and display signs of wealth.

I said that there is cultural importance on wealth and displays of wealth in Indian culture and that part of the gender preference is based on the fact that males are viewed as having more economic value and females viewed more an an economic burden. I posted links that talk about the emphasis of wealth in Indian culture. Although I heard they do control Bollywood.