Does gender discrimination contribute to India's population imbalance? A household level analysis

Son preference in India results in abortion of female foetuses, and excess female infant mortality due to childhood neglect. Whether the increased use of abortion will reduce female infant mortality is a matter of debate. Using India's National Family Health Survey (NFHS) 2005–2006, this paper demonstrates that after controlling for socioeconomic variables, an increase in the number of abortions will reduce female infant mortality. From a policy perspective, the results call for urgent enforcement of abortion laws to prevent its increasing abuse to abort female foetuses, and the need to encourage women's education to reduce both female mortality disadvantages.