Women's Wellbeing and the Sex Ratio at Birth: Some Suggestive Evidence from India
探讨了印度出生性别比下降是否可能源于女性福祉改善导致胎儿流失率中性减少，而非仅由性别选择性堕胎造成，并讨论了这一观点对女性福祉和发展的意义。
A declining sex ratio (SR) for a population has generally been diagnosed as an indicator of worsening female advantage, while a declining sex ratio at birth (SRB) - such as in the context of the Indian population over the recent past - has been diagnosed as being caused largely by the phenomenon of sex-selective foeticide. In this article, we examine the merits of a less sinister hypothesis in terms of which a secular improvement in women's wellbeing has led to a sex-neutral reduction in the rate of foetal wastage, and through that route, to a reduction in the SRB (and therefore in the overall SR of the population). We seek support for this hypothesis by examining evidence from India. We also discuss the implications of this line of reasoning for women's wellbeing, development and the significance of a declining sex ratio.