31 March 2010, 1 pm
School for Policy Studies, Room 7G1, 7 Priory Road, Bristol, BS8 1TZ
Dr Sabu George is recognised as an expert in the field of female infanticide, girl child neglect, and female foeticide (sex selection) and has worked on these issues for the past 25 years. He will present the latest data on sex selection; discuss the issues this raises for India, and examine the potential for misuse of new technologies which are emerging.
Educated at IIT Bombay, Johns Hopkins and Cornell, his academic publications have appeared in prestigious journals such as the Lancet, Reproductive Health Matters, Prenatal Diagnosis, Economic & Political Weekly. He has undertaken extensive field research in South and North India and been part of public campaigns against these practices in certain Indian States. He was involved with the public interest litigation in the Indian Supreme Court against the Governments, 200-2003 to implement the PNDT act to restrain the misuse of foetal sex determination. He successfully lobbied with the Indian Parliament to amend the PNDT Act in December 2002 in partnership with the Union Health Ministry and civil society.
Presently, he is a petitioner in the Supreme Court against Google, Microsoft and Yahoo for promoting sex selection. He has been widely interviewed by the international media over the past decade on the practice of female foeticide and it consequences. These efforts have been funded by over nine major international donors.