Campaign to Stop Female Infanticide and Sale of Girl Babies V Rukmini Rao Gramya Resource Center for Women

Background Information that Lambada families were killing their girl babies in Devarkonda Mandal, Nalgonda District, 1997 Responded to emergency call Data about community generated four years later through a UNICEF study, “A Community Besieged” High levels of poverty, lack of employment opportunities, low literacy, child labor Dowry and violence against women practiced High child mortality

Strategies Adopted Organizing women in the area into SHGs Alerting the government to the problem and Fact Finding Committee set up in 1997 Discovering sale of girl babies through interaction with community Campaigning around gender issues and creating awareness to stop sale and infanticide of girl babies Training traditional birth attendants technically and creating gender sensitization among them since they are used to kill the infants.

Strategies Adopted Contd… Media campaign to pressurize government to act against illegal adoption agencies buying children Creating alliances with NGOs and women’s organizations belonging to political parties Campaign in 10 districts Lobbying with officials of tribal welfare and women and child welfare Lobbying with district officials to implement development programmes Lobbying with ministers – Home and Chief Minister Lobbying with Opposition parties Legal interventions Development programmes to support sustainable agriculture taken up

Strategies that Worked The strategies were developed keeping in view emerging conditions in the state. All of them were necessary to bring about planned changes.

Changes Brought About Women Leaders in community took responsibility to stop middle men from buying children Management of illegal adoption agencies arrested More than 200 babies recovered and provided special health care Children transferred to government care Foreign adoptions put on moratorium to stop trafficking Indian adoptions promoted Twelve schools started in the 12 thandas, after some years handed over to the government and mainstreamed Bridge school for girls continues Significant change in family attitudes to education

Stake Holders Involved Women from the lambada community Men from the community Government officials and Political leaders NGOs Print and Electronic Media Legal system Police

Change in the situation of the children Girl babies retained by parents Change in government policy to prevent sale of babies Police vigilance increased Special development officers posted to the area Due to development interventions, attitudes towards children changed Children brought back to school Currently 95% of children in school