Gender-biased sex selection study depicts son preference scenario in Bangladesh

A first-ever study on gender-biased sex selection has found that son preference exists in Bangladesh society.

As many as 28 percent ever-married women aged between 15 and 49 years who have at least one child less than 5 years old preferred son which is more than twice the daughter preference of 12 percent in Bangladesh.

The study also found that the rate of ever-married women who at least once used ultrasonography during their pregnancy to know the sex of the foetus is 40 percent in the country.

The rate is highest in Rangpur, 45 percent, and lowest in Dhaka at 31 percent.

The main reason of using ultrasonography during their pregnancy to know the sex of the foetus is that women wanted to know their child’s sex before delivery.

The Department of Population Sciences of Dhaka University with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the European Union (EU) conducted the study in 12 districts in Dhaka, Rangpur, and Sylhet divisions.

The research explores the existence of son preference and availability and access to sex-selection technologies in Bangladesh along with the extent of induced abortion and/or clandestine abortion in the name of menstrual regulation that are contributing to gender-biased sex selection in Bangladesh, the UNFPA said.

The use of clinic-based menstrual regulation (MR) services has reduced due to wider availability of over-the-counter MR with medication, putting women at risk.

The UNFPA said this study was disseminated to the relevant stakeholders at a programme in Dhaka on Thursday in the presence of MP Meher Afroz Chumki, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on women and children affairs.

UNFPA Bangladesh Deputy Representative Eiko Narita, Dhaka University’s Dean of Social Sciences Prof Sadeka Halim and EU Bangladesh office’s attaché for cooperation coordination and aid effectiveness Evangelina Blanco Gonzalez were also present.

“This research is important because it speaks of the very heart of Bangladesh’s development,” Narita said.

“If Bangladesh wants to be a fully developed country and reap its demographic dividend they will need to give some preference to looking deep into gender-biased sex selection.

“Because demographic dividend is not a given. Just because a country has a large youth population doesn’t automatically promise a demographic dividend unless proper quality education, health and decent work is ensured for both boys and girls,” she said.

Gonzalez said it is “important to discuss and advocate for equal value of boys and girls with various actors in development as well as civil society”.