2015年-世界发展银行全球_Missing_Girls_in_the_South_Caucasus_Countries___Trends_Possible_Causes_and_Policy_Options_34页_1mb

Summary of "Missing Girls" in the South Caucasus Countries

Core Content

This policy research paper by Monica Das Gupta examines the phenomenon of sex-selection in the South Caucasus countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia), focusing on trends, possible causes, and policy options to address the issue. It highlights how the region, despite its history of urbanization and gender equity in public life, experienced a sharp increase in child sex ratios following the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, and how this trend has since begun to normalize.

Main Trends in Sex-Selection

• Child sex ratios rose sharply in the 1990s, reaching levels second only to China.
• The trend appears to be turning around, with recent data showing a decline or stabilization in child sex ratios.
• The rise is most evident in Armenia, where it was the sharpest, but Georgia has seen the most significant drop in sex ratios.
• Sex ratios at birth show a pattern of increasing with birth order, indicating a strong son preference.
• Postnatal sex-selection (e.g., higher female mortality in early childhood) is observed in Armenia and Azerbaijan, but not in Georgia.

Key Causes of the Rise in Sex-Selection

• The dissolution of the USSR in 1991 triggered economic and institutional collapse, leading to job losses, loss of social safety nets, and disruption of public services.
• These shocks forced families to rely on traditional family structures for support, especially sons.
• Son preference is rooted in patrilineal kinship systems, where daughters are transferred to their husband's family and are less valued than sons.
• Urbanization and industrialization during the Soviet era weakened son preference, but the collapse of the USSR reversed this trend.
• Low fertility and economic uncertainty limited the number of children families could afford to raise, increasing the pressure to have a son.

Policy Options

• Restricting access to sex-selective technologies (e.g., prenatal sex detection and selective abortion) has been proposed, but evidence of effectiveness is limited.
• Media advocacy has been used in some countries, such as India, to change social norms and parental attitudes toward daughters.
• Financial incentives to raise and educate girls have been tried in India and China, but results are mixed.
• Strengthening social protection systems and economic security is critical to reducing son preference and sex-selection.
• Improving governance and institutional trust can help reinforce the value of daughters and reduce reliance on sons for support in old age.

Key Findings

• The South Caucasus had rigid patrilineal kinship systems, similar to other parts of Asia with strong son preference.
• Urbanization and gender equality in public life under the Soviet Union helped reduce son preference.
• The economic and institutional shocks following the USSR dissolution led to a reversal in these trends.
• Recent improvements in social services, economic conditions, and governance have contributed to a reduction in sex-selection.
• Continued investment in gender equity, social protection, and institutional stability is essential to normalize sex ratios.

Conclusion

The paper concludes that while the South Caucasus has seen a reduction in sex-selection in recent years, the underlying kinship norms and economic pressures still play a significant role. Policy interventions should focus on reinforcing gender equity, improving social protection, and building institutional trust to sustain the trend toward more balanced sex ratios.