Sex ratio, defined, as the number of females per thousand males, is an important social indicator to measure the extent of prevailing equality between males and females in a society at a given point of time. The sex ratio in the country had always remained unfavourable to females.
Reasons for Unfavourable Sex-ratio for Females:
(i) Preferential treatment is given to a male child and female children get neglected in most Indian homes.
(ii) The Infant mortality rate in India is high and female infant mortality rate is still higher.
(iii) People go through pre-natal sex determination test. In case of a girl child they abort the child.
(iv) Women generally have lower social, political and economic status in the Indian society. We find dowry deaths, opposition to widow remarriages and low nutritional levels in woman.
(v) hack of social awareness programmes among people especially in rural areas.
