Concept in Definition ABC

The words suicide, assassination, fratricide, homicide and feticide have something in common: the idea of ​​killing someone, since the suffix cide means, precisely, to kill. Thus, a feticide is the action of ending the life of a human fetus.

Two similar concepts are often spoken of: infanticide and feticide. The first involves ending the life of a child, while the second focuses on the human fetus.

Feticide as a form of discrimination against women

The idea of ​​feticide is applicable to a male or female fetus interchangeably. However, this theoretical definition does not correspond to reality, since feticide has historically been practiced based on the knowledge that the human fetus is female. The foundation of this practice is due to the idea that the birth of a girl is a problem for the woman, usually because the boy is more appreciated. This contempt for the female sex is a form of discrimination with very deep cultural and economic roots. The predilection for male children is an ingrained conception in some countries of Asia and Africa.

In some studies in which the causes of feticide are analyzed, the idea is maintained that this practice occurs mainly in patriarchal societies. On the other hand, feticide is linked to the idea of marriage, since in some cultures women must pay a dowry when they marry and this places an economic burden on families. In this way, feticide is a strategy so as not to have to assume an economic expense in the future.

Another element that explains feticide in certain social contexts is the difference in roles between men and women. In this sense, in India some castes grant a special role to men, who are responsible for a series of functions (keeping the name of the family or the management of funeral rituals).

The cultural traditions that explain feticide have been consolidated thanks to the advance of the medicine, since ultrasounds allow knowing the sex of a fetus in advance to pregnancy. This technical advance has made it possible for those who justify feticide to have an ally to continue practicing this custom.

Ethical debate

Feticide is an obvious fact: ending the life of a human fetus. For some it is murder and does not have any justification, since human life must be protected from the moment of conception. This position is rejected by those who consider that their cultural traditions legitimize feticide.