Do not kill your daughters!
On average each year Armenia potentially loses around 1400 future mothers, according to the UNFPA (the United Nations Population Fund) Armenia Country Office.
Families with son preference are six times more than families with daughter preference (10 times more in rural areas and four times more in urban areas).
According to official statistical data, starting from 1993 the sex-at-birth ratio in Armenia has been 110-120 boys to 100 girls, while the accepted normal biological ratio is 102-106 boys to 100 girls. In other words, in the last decade in Armenia fewer girls and more boys have been born. In order to check one possible cause for this skewed ratio, sex selective abortions, UNFPA initiated a study. The results of the study were presented in the report on "Prevalence and Reasons of Sex Selective Abortions in Armenia."
The UNFPA study suggests that 0.8 per cent of 900,000 Armenian women around 7200 women of reproductive age has had a sex selective abortion in the last five years.
"As a result, we deprive a child of life," Garik Hyrapetyan, a senior representative of the UNFPA Armenia Country Office, told a press conference on Monday.
According to the report, sex selective abortions are most vividly expressed in case of the 3rd and the 4th child.
"Families in rural areas want to have sons more that those in urban areas," said Health Ministry's Chief Obstetrician-Gynecologist, Professor Razmik Abrahamyan
The findings in the report are based on quantitative survey of women of reproductive age (15-49) from 2830 Armenian households, who had at least one pregnancy in their lifetime, survey of pregnant women who applied to a healthcare facility for abortion, and express qualitative assessment of focus groups of women and men, as well as obstetrician-gynecologists.
A1+ tried to find out our citizens' opinion on gender differences.
"I have two daughters and a son. As a parent, I must confess that they are all equal for me," said Maro Vagharshakyan.
"I see no major difference. The most important is that my children grow up happy and in a peaceful world," said Karine Poghosyan.
"It mainly depends on the father, but I would like to have a daughter," said Anahit Markosyan.
Many of our respondents said that the child is a gift by God and parents must not get rid of it.
