Gendercide
Gendercide – the systematic killing of people on the basis of sex. The term was first used by the American feminist Mary Anne Warren in her book Gendercide: The Implications of Sex Selection (1985).
In some cultures, the problem of gendercide is particularly acute. For example, population censuses in countries such as India and China have shown that, because of sex-selective abortions, 120 boys are born for every 100 girls, whereas the normal biological ratio is 102–106 boys for every 100 girls. Gendercide may also take the form of infanticide or lethal violence at any stage of a person’s life.
Two types of gendercide are distinguished: femicide and androcide.
Femicide is the systematic killing of women for various reasons, primarily cultural ones. For example, in India, preference is given to male children because they are direct heirs who will care for their parents in old age. In addition, the cost of the dowry that must be paid for a daughter when she marries is very high, whereas a male heir will bring a dowry into the family through marriage.
Androcide is the systematic killing of men for various reasons. Androcide may occur during wars, when the warring parties destroy not only enemy soldiers, but also most of the male population, regardless of age.
Reference:
Warren, M. A. (1985). Gendercide: The implications of sex selection. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
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