Epress.am News from Armenia
Among newborns, males are the most dominant sex in Armenia. Armenia holds third place behind China and Azerbaijan in sex selective abortion. The issue was raised on Saturday on Yerevan’s Northern Avenue by women’s right organizations, where pamphlets were distributed about sex-selective abortion to passers-by.
According to the information passed out by the activists, Armenia’s sex-ratio for newborns has gotten worse from the 1990’s and in 2012 has formed 114 boys for every 100 girls, while it is considered natural to have 102-106 boys to a 100 girls. The most negative indicator in Armenia is among second children, where the sex-ratio is formed at 160 boys to a 100 girls, which, according to the pamphlet’s authors, is the highest registered number in the world. For most families, it is satisfactory to have one boy among two children, in order for Armenian couples to feel their reproductive intentions fulfilled.
The Northern Avenue initiative, intended to break gender stereotypes, placed woolen slippers for infants above posters writing the various reasons as to why girls were not born, like “I wasn’t born because I couldn’t bring joy to my parents,” “I wasn’t born, because I couldn’t serve my fatherland,” etc.
Lilit: I wasn’t born because I was a girl.
Alvard: I wasn’t born because my mother didn’t want me to have a hard life like her.
Ani: I wasn’t born because I couldn’t carry my father’s family name.
Armine: I wasn’t born because I couldn’t become a good enough professional.
Sofia: I wasn’t born because I couldn’t earn a good living.
Gayane: I wasn’t born because I couldn’t defend my fatherland.
Syuzi: I wasn’t born because there was already one girl in the house.
Anahit: I wasn’t born because I couldn’t financially support my father and mother.
Milena: I wasn’t born because I couldn’t continue our family line.
Susanna: I wasn’t born because I couldn’t plant a tree or build a house.
Marine: I wasn’t born because I couldn’t start a family in my father’s home.
Nare: I wasn’t born because I couldn’t bring joy to my parents.
Tatevik: I wasn’t born because the first born must be a boy.