STRONG preference for sons over daughters exists in the Indian subcontinent, east Asia, north Africa and west Asia unlike in the western countries [Muthurayappa et al 1997, Lancet 1990, Okun 1996].

India probably is the only nation in the world which exclusively enshrines female deities in artistically built temples. The Meenakshi temple at Madurai, Ambabai temple at Kolhapur and the Shantadurga and Mahalaxmi temples at Goa are ample proof of the Hindu reverence for female deities.

Infanticide has been practiced in all continents, but little dependable primary data exist on this subject. Presented here are the findings on female infanticide for a rural, south Indian population.

Of all the forms that violence against women can assume, sexual harassment is the most ubiquitous and insidious; all the more so because it is deemed 'normal' behaviour and not an assault on the female entity.

In this paper I am going to discuss some important matters regarding domestic violence and women and support structures, both regarding the issue in general and our experiences in this field.

The high female infant mortality rates (Miller, 1985); the practice of female infanticide (Krishnaswamy, 1988); the neglect of female children with regard to access to health services, nutrition, (Sen and Sengupta, 1983 and education (Mankekar, 1985); and the sexual abuse of girls (Bhalerao, 1985

Before discussing the subject, first let us see the definition of rape.

The planet is getting polarized in demographic and economic terms. Developing countries experience problems with their population growth along with pervasive poverty.

This report examines the linkages between wife-beating and one health-related consequence for women, their experience of fetal and infant mortality.

If oppression were to be tackled by enacting laws, then the last decade (19809) could be declared as the golden era for Indian women, when laws were given on a platter.