historically,throughout the world why are female babies killed?

Question

and how did it stop?

Answer 1

Female babies were killed because the farmer father needed more boys to help him in the fields and/or the dowry to marry the daughter was too high for the parents to pay.
It hasn't stopped yet, although the reasons I cited above don't really apply anywhere anymore. There is an over-supply of boys in India and China... basically because some in those countries still hold to the belief that boys are more important than girls.

Answer 2

The general idea is/was that females aren't worth very much and can cause more problems than good. During pre-Islamic Arabia, it was a common practice to bury a female child alive, as she was seen as a waste of money and time. Prophet Muhammad (saws) put an end to this and as Islam spread, the practice diminished in these areas. It is still practiced in India, and I believe in a couple Asian countries. Though now with the technology boom, some are adapting a new way of gender selection. They are choosing to abort their babies after finding out the sex through ultrasound.

Answer 3

Most societies (but not all) have norms where power, property, wealth etc flows through the male child. So, you have property and titles only in male child's name, or dowry etc. So, over time, this practice of not wanting female children grew.

There's a tribe in Mizzoram, in India, where it is the opposite. Its a matriarchal society - properties and titles can only be inherited by the femaes. After marriage, the male has to come and live in the female's house, and it is the male who does most of the house work.

In most western countries, female babies are not killed any more. But it continues to be a problem in many countries of Asia and Africa.

I guess, appropriate local laws, coupled with social awareness, and laws for equality of women should help in the long run.

Answer 4

Throughout history woman have been seen as inferior in many societies. Also, a female was not an option in keeping the blood line alive. Obviously as societies became more civilized this stopped on its own. Of course there was also a time when the female was considered sacred, but the catolic church named those people peagans.

Answer 5

It hasn't!!! Many cultures still dispose of their female off-spring. The are considered weak and useless. Their sole purpose is for procreation. Males, on the other hand, are strong and competent and capable of manual labor. They don't need time off for female issues or pregnancies. They can make a baby and keep right on working! Females are such a burden to a family that the family must pay to have the taken off their hands, i.e. a dowry.

Answer 6

It hasn't stopped everywhere. It is my understanding that in China the next generation is in serious trouble because so many people are aborting, abandoning, or killing girl babies. This is because the Chinese are only allowed to have one child and the bloodlines flow through the man. So, in that situation, a girl child isn't desireable. However, if all the girl babies are gone, who will the boy babies have children with when they grow up.

Answer 7

It stopped? Maybe in most places but this still happens.

In China families are penalized for having more than the allotted number of children... which I believe is one. I believe they have to pay some kind of tax for it. But many parents get rid of the baby girls because when they marry they go to the husbands family and support their family instead of the girls family. And when the parents grow old, their sons take care of them while the girls care for their husbands family. Also there is some truth to many answers above.

Answer 8

males are the ones who further the line, not the females. males are looked at more proudly to take over the business, make more sons to carry on the family name etc. woman, once married lose their name and become a part of the other family. males are stronger workers and can do more to help out. females just do menial chores and get pregnant. that's usually the reasons why this happens

Answer 9

To my knowledge it still happens in some countries...but instead of outright killing them, the mothers just abandon them. This i smostly because the family lineage goes through the males, and the men are considered more important, I suppose.

Answer 10

Because men wanted boys to pass on the family mane... and their business....things like that.....technicly it didnt it happens in china cause they can only have 1 child so many want sons ...there r a lot of gurls in orphanages