Banning Pre-Natal Sex Determination: The Scope and the Limits of the Maharashtra Legislation.

Abstract

The Maharashtra government introduced a much-awaited and talked about bill in the state assembly: the Maharashtra Regulation of the Use of Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1988. The bill has come in response to a concerted campaign mounted mainly by the Bombay-based Forum Against Sex Determination and Sex Pre-selection, and is supported by women's organization's, doctors, health activists, democratic rights activists and even a research institution. These groups organized demonstrations, marches, exhibitions, seminars and workshops. They also used all available media to draw people's attention to the rampant misuse of medical techniques like amniocentesis, chorion villi biopsy and sonography, which lead to female foeticide. Many sensitive journalists and other media people helped focus the campaign not only on the issue of the misuse of medical techniques, but also on the status of women in society.