Abstract
Objective:To analyze desire for sons/daughters among ladies of Peshawar, Pakistan, with a view to rule out son preference and to study impact of various demographic characteristics on the subject.Methods:Cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at Combined Military Hospital, Peshawar, from August 2015 - January 2016; sampling technique was random/probability/non-purposive. Self-designed questionnaire was utilized; carrying questions pertinent to desire for sons/daughters during marital life, and demographic details. Data analyzed via descriptive analysis (SPSS-21), expressed as frequencies/percentages and mean ± standard deviation(minimum/maximum). Sons and daughters desired (dependent variables) were cross-tabulated with independent variables.Results:Response rate was 63.25% (n-506). Data revealed following: Sons desired 3.05±2.061(1/12); Daughters desired 1.15±0.767(0/4); 6.1%(n-31) and 0.6%(n-3) desired infinite number of sons and daughters respectively, 18.2%(n-92) did not desire to have even one daughter, while 2.2%(n-11) considered it immaterial to have daughters or sons. There was a significant relation between sons desired and client’s education (p<0.001), husband’s education (p<0.001) and socioeconomic class (p<0.001). There was no significant impact of religion (p-0.142) on desire for sons. Impact of independent variables on daughters desired was similar but less pronounced.Conclusion:There was candid son preference among the respondents. Gender discrimination can be attenuated by adequately addressing son preference at all tiers.
Highlights
Few societies in the world might be unfamiliar with the phrase “Son Preference”; many are facing this dilemma since ages[1], documented as highest in China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria &North Korea.[2]
Gender bias is evident in every field of life, leading to female discrimination since childhood.[1,4]
Son preference being so rampant in Pakistan demands to be addressed at grass-root levels
Summary
Few societies in the world might be unfamiliar with the phrase “Son Preference”; many are facing this dilemma since ages[1], documented as highest in China, India, Pakistan, Nigeria &North Korea.[2] today’s woman has more liberty in decision making of children to be borne, considerable son preference still keeps them under pressure to bear desired number of sons.[3] In male dominated societies, gender bias is evident in every field of life, leading to female discrimination since childhood.[1,4] Ladies are given inadequate authority to choose contraceptive practices, criminal female feticide is done, leading to altered sex ratio at birth (SRB).[1,5,6]. In Pakistan, every family must have witnessed gender bias of various degrees. Such topics have always been the talk of the town, yet, it is minimally investigated/documented. Son preference being so rampant in Pakistan demands to be addressed at grass-root levels
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