ICRW Asks Tough Questions about What Preference for Sons Means for Daughters in India
Son preference has been documented in India for the past 100 years, and it has left a marked gap between the numbers of boys and girls in the country. Evidence also suggests that son preference in families with daughters can lead to girls’ malnutrition and stunted growth.

ICRW researchers Rohini Pande and Anju Malhotra hosted a consultation in New Delhi, India, this week to provide new data and formulate solutions with other India researchers and policy-makers about the following questions:

What does a culture of son preference mean for the health and care of girls who survive infancy?

Is the ideology of son preference strong throughout India or in pockets?

What factors lead to greater or lesser son preference?

For more information on son preference, please read ICRW's newest document, Son Preference and Daughter Neglect in India: What Happens to Living Girls?

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