§ Baroness Coxasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make representations to the Indian Government to take action to enforce the laws against both the dowry system and sex-determination tests, and to launch a public education campaign to raise the status of women.[HL4237]
§ Baroness Symons of Vernham DeanThe practices of making dowry payments and of sex-determination testing are both outlawed under Indian law. But dowry payments continue to be a widespread problem across India, particularly in rural areas, and sex-determination tests continue to be misused, resulting in the termination of a disproportionate number of pregnancies of female foetuses.
Both the Department for International Development and the British Council are involved in project work in India, some of it funded by the FCO's Human Rights Project Fund, targeted at promoting the empowerment and welfare of Indian women at most risk. Through this work we hope to raise awareness of the issues around women's rights—including dowry payments and female foeticide. Our High Commission in New Delhi also regularly raise human rights issues with the Government of India.