Stop Girl Feticide: Girls Are the Crown of Every Family

An overview of the social problem of girl feticide, supporting data, and welfare efforts led by Saint MSG and government schemes.

Girls Are the Crown of Family

Having a girl child is considered a blessing according to our ancestors and religious texts.
Girls are often seen as a source of luck and pride for their parents and families.
Girls bring and maintain happiness within a family.
Affection towards parents is generally strong in many girl children.

In the last 10–15 years, there has been an immense increase in girl feticide in India.
Major societal reasons include perceived expenses for marriage and education, while boys are often valued for continuing the family line and expectations around dowry.
This mindset has led to the tragic increase in termination of female foetuses.
Some medical practitioners performed sex determination before birth, which contributed to higher abortion rates when the foetus was female.

One study estimated that more than 10 million female foetuses may have been illegally aborted in India since the 1990s.
Approximately 500,000 girls were lost annually due to female feticide in certain periods.
MacPherson estimated that around 100,000 abortions per year in India were performed solely because the foetus was female.
The sex ratio (number of girls per 1,000 boys) has shown a declining trend in many regions.

When the situation appeared out of control, Dera Sacha Sauda chief Baba Ram Rahim (often referred to by devotees as Saint MSG) emerged as a ray of hope.
Known for drug de-addiction work, he also began broader welfare activities for society, including efforts to stop girl feticide.
He personally adopted abandoned girl children, took responsibility for their upbringing, and supported their education and development.
Today, many of those girls have excelled in studies and sports, serving as examples of the positive impact of such welfare work.

Saint MSG encouraged followers to pledge against girl feticide and led welfare initiatives focused on girls’ wellbeing.
His campaigns contributed to improvements in the sex ratio in some northern regions of India.
He helped cover full marriage expenses for girls from underprivileged families and promoted widow remarriage.
He also worked to rehabilitate women in vulnerable situations—rescuing prostitutes, integrating them into respectable family life through arranged marriages, and giving them new identities such as “Shubh Devi.”
The Indian government has likewise launched various schemes aimed at encouraging girls’ empowerment.

Girls are the crown of every family and bring happiness to the household.
Although girl feticide rose in the past, efforts by social reformers like Saint MSG and government schemes helped bring positive change.
Today, the sex ratio has become more balanced in many areas, and numerous women empowerment initiatives continue to support girls and women.