Tweet
CAUCASUS LIKES MASCULINE?: EXPERT SAYS ARMENIA AND THE REGION UNDER THREAT OF SEX IMBALANCE BECAUSE OF SELECTIVE ABORTIONS
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
20.06.12
Photo: Mher Manukyan/UN office
Christophe Z Guilmoto
Selective abortions in Armenia are likely to cause demographic sex
imbalance, experts say, and in some fifteen years young Armenian men
will have difficulty finding a partner, since the number of male
residents will significantly exceed that of the country's female
population.
Among world-famous experts on sex imbalances at birth and selective
abortions, Dr Christophe Z Guilmoto presently carrying out research
in Armenia, said during a meeting with press at the United Nation's
Yerevan office last week that there are ten countries in the world
where an increase in the number of boys has been observed over the
past few years.
Doctor Guilmoto's research led to PACE adopting a resolution in
October 2011 on "Pre-natal sex selection" tracing sex imbalances in
Armenia and in the entire region.
"The normal biological ratio is considered to be 102-106 boys to100
girls, whereas in the South Caucasus - Azerbaijan, Georgia, and
Armenia, the ratio starting from 1993 is 115-117 boys versus 100
girls, which is a serious deviation from the norm. The highest gap
in the ratio is observed in China with 118 boys versus 100 girls,"
says Dr Guilmoto, adding that if each of those boys later decides to
form a family with a representative of the same nationality, finding
a bride is going to be challenging because of the decrease in the
number of girls/women in their age-range.
"This sex discrimination of Armenians is likely to lead to serious
demographic issues in the country in some fifteen years' time. There
will be a "deficit" of women and a fierce competition among men
fighting for a woman; this will ultimately lead to increase of
prostitution and trafficking among the Armenian society," says
Guilmoto.
The research carried out within the framework of "Strengthening Sexual
and Reproductive Health Assistance Services" by joint efforts of the
UN Population Fund, RA Healthcare Ministry, the Republican Institutes
of Reproductive Health, Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology,
has revealed that over the last five years in Armenia around 7,200
out of 900,000 women of reproductive age have aborted their pregnancy
preventing the birth of baby girls.
(Abortions are legal in Armenia, however by the law on "Reproductive
health and reproductive rights" abortion is allowed only in case
pregnancy under 12 weeks).
The 2011 research surveyed 2,830 families among whom were women in
the age range between15 and 49 who had been pregnant at least once
and who had ever had an abortion.
Sociologist Artak Saghatelyan, participating in the survey, explained
the preference of baby boys to girls by the "need to continue the
family line and have the carrier of the surname".
"However, in Armenia the desire to have boys has to do with the
fact that boys keep the family hearth, take care of their parents
and generally have better chances of finding a job and making their
and the family's living," says Saghatelyan adding that two of five
surveyed women said they wanted their first-born child to be a boy,
and only one out of seven said they wanted a girl.
"Thus, the average data point to the fact that because of selective
abortions Armenia is losing 1,400 potential mothers every year,"
says the sociologist.
By Gohar Abrahamyan
ArmeniaNow
20.06.12
Photo: Mher Manukyan/UN office
Christophe Z Guilmoto
Selective abortions in Armenia are likely to cause demographic sex
imbalance, experts say, and in some fifteen years young Armenian men
will have difficulty finding a partner, since the number of male
residents will significantly exceed that of the country's female
population.
Among world-famous experts on sex imbalances at birth and selective
abortions, Dr Christophe Z Guilmoto presently carrying out research
in Armenia, said during a meeting with press at the United Nation's
Yerevan office last week that there are ten countries in the world
where an increase in the number of boys has been observed over the
past few years.
Doctor Guilmoto's research led to PACE adopting a resolution in
October 2011 on "Pre-natal sex selection" tracing sex imbalances in
Armenia and in the entire region.
"The normal biological ratio is considered to be 102-106 boys to100
girls, whereas in the South Caucasus - Azerbaijan, Georgia, and
Armenia, the ratio starting from 1993 is 115-117 boys versus 100
girls, which is a serious deviation from the norm. The highest gap
in the ratio is observed in China with 118 boys versus 100 girls,"
says Dr Guilmoto, adding that if each of those boys later decides to
form a family with a representative of the same nationality, finding
a bride is going to be challenging because of the decrease in the
number of girls/women in their age-range.
"This sex discrimination of Armenians is likely to lead to serious
demographic issues in the country in some fifteen years' time. There
will be a "deficit" of women and a fierce competition among men
fighting for a woman; this will ultimately lead to increase of
prostitution and trafficking among the Armenian society," says
Guilmoto.
The research carried out within the framework of "Strengthening Sexual
and Reproductive Health Assistance Services" by joint efforts of the
UN Population Fund, RA Healthcare Ministry, the Republican Institutes
of Reproductive Health, Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology,
has revealed that over the last five years in Armenia around 7,200
out of 900,000 women of reproductive age have aborted their pregnancy
preventing the birth of baby girls.
(Abortions are legal in Armenia, however by the law on "Reproductive
health and reproductive rights" abortion is allowed only in case
pregnancy under 12 weeks).
The 2011 research surveyed 2,830 families among whom were women in
the age range between15 and 49 who had been pregnant at least once
and who had ever had an abortion.
Sociologist Artak Saghatelyan, participating in the survey, explained
the preference of baby boys to girls by the "need to continue the
family line and have the carrier of the surname".
"However, in Armenia the desire to have boys has to do with the
fact that boys keep the family hearth, take care of their parents
and generally have better chances of finding a job and making their
and the family's living," says Saghatelyan adding that two of five
surveyed women said they wanted their first-born child to be a boy,
and only one out of seven said they wanted a girl.
"Thus, the average data point to the fact that because of selective
abortions Armenia is losing 1,400 potential mothers every year,"
says the sociologist.