Combating Infanticide

Infanticide is the homicide of an infant, and the tragic act is a problem that is rampant worldwide. This human rights abuse has not been met with much international or national attention, and the lack of initiative allows it to continue to be a problem in many countries, especially those in Southern Asia and Africa. It is most commonly found in India and China because males are more desirable as children because of many cultural traditions that favor men. Nicknamed “gendercide” because it is a problem that typically plagues female infants, communities and families are ending the lives of babies for purposes like sex-selectivity, traditional customs, and even state policies like China’s one-child policy. Policies like this forbid families from having more than one child, leading to much infanticide in the countries. (Karabin 5).

The UN Programme on the Family is mandated to promote and uphold familial values, but the topic of infanticide completely reverses the morals of a family and by not addressing this topic, the UN Programme on the Family is abandoning its mandate. It is also a topic that is not widely well-known, making it original and interesting for this committee; while most people know what infanticide is, most do not realize the various types and consequences of it. Infanticide is extremely different from foeticide, which is the killing of a fetus in the womb, and at no point will these topics overlap during their discussion. Infanticide is an issue that directly violates a human’s right to life, and by not addressing this act of violence, the family unit is deteriorating across the globe.