Why Indian midwives killed baby girls

Inside a 30-year mission to expose infanticide

An episode of the The Global Story podcast, hosted by BBC World Service, titled "Why Indian midwives killed baby girls" was published on September 12, 2024 and runs 23 minutes.

September 12, 2024 ·23m · The Global Story

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Summary

Inside a 30-year mission to expose a pattern of infanticide. In the 1990s, midwives in northern India admitted that they were regularly paid to kill new-born baby girls whose families did not want them. It’s an issue that speaks to India’s complicated relationships with gender, caste and wealth. So what do these killings say about the status of women and girls in India? And why are some babies still being rejected by their families in 2024? Katya Adler speaks to journalists and filmmakers Amitabh Parashar and Anubha Bhonsle, who have just made a documentary for the BBC called “The Midwife’s Confession”.The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.Producers: Peter Goffin and Eleanor Sly. Sound Engineers: Dafydd Evans and Philip Bull. Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

Episode Description

Inside a 30-year mission to expose a pattern of infanticide. In the 1990s, midwives in northern India admitted that they were regularly paid to kill new-born baby girls whose families did not want them. It’s an issue that speaks to India’s complicated relationships with gender, caste and wealth. So what do these killings say about the status of women and girls in India? And why are some babies still being rejected by their families in 2024? Katya Adler speaks to journalists and filmmakers Amitabh Parashar and Anubha Bhonsle, who have just made a documentary for the BBC called “The Midwife’s Confession”.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at [email protected] You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480.

Producers: Peter Goffin and Eleanor Sly.

Sound Engineers: Dafydd Evans and Philip Bull.

Assistant Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas.

Senior News Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith.

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