Context

• International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGOs) have long been active players in the development of numerous nations, often presenting themselves as allies in the quest for progress and social betterment.
• Yet, their interventions frequently lead to negative outcomes for the communities they intend to help.
• Therefore, it is crucial to examine the adverse effects of donor-driven agendas led by INGOs, focusing on their role in conservation, water management, and gender imbalance.

Case Studies of the Displacement of Communities and Failed Development Projects by INGOs

• Conservation in East Africa: Displacing Indigenous Communities
  • In Tanzania and Kenya, INGOs have led various conservation projects aimed at preserving wildlife and natural habitats.
  • These projects, however, have frequently disregarded the traditional rights of indigenous populations, leading to the displacement of communities like the Maasai.
  • The Maasai people have lived in harmony with their environment for centuries, maintaining sustainable land use practices that support both their livelihoods and the local ecosystem.
  • Despite this, INGO-driven conservation policies have often imposed strict regulations on land use, prioritising wildlife preservation over the rights of these communities.
  • For example, INGOs have worked with governments to establish national parks and protected areas, ostensibly to safeguard endangered species and maintain biodiversity.
  • However, these projects often fail to recognise the Maasai’s deep connection to their ancestral lands.
• Water Privatisation in Bolivia: Ignoring Local Needs
  • In the early 2000s, several INGOs supported the privatisation of water services in Cochabamba as part of a broader agenda to improve infrastructure and access to clean water.
  • The underlying belief was that privatisation would bring in much-needed investment and expertise, leading to better management and efficiency in water distribution.
  • However, the reality was far different; privatisation, instead of increasing access to water, resulted in steep price hikes that made water unaffordable for many of Cochabamba’s residents.
  • The water privatisation move led to widespread protests, known as the Cochabamba Water War, where thousands of citizens took to the streets to demand a return to public control over water resources.
  • The protests were so intense that the Bolivian government eventually reversed the privatisation policy.

Historical Roots of Gender Imbalance and the Role of INGOs in Worsening Gender Imbalance in India

• Historical Roots of Gender Imbalance: Colonial Policies and Cultural Narratives
  • India’s gender imbalance cannot be understood without considering the historical context of British colonial rule, which laid the groundwork for later developments.
  • Scholars like L.S. Vishwanath and Bernard S. Cohn have argued that British land reforms in the 18th and 19th centuries created economic conditions that incentivised female infanticide among certain landowning castes.
  • These reforms altered the system of land ownership, making it more advantageous for families to have male heirs, who were seen as better suited to inherit and manage property.
  • This shift in economic structures led to an increase in the deliberate killing of female infants.
  • Despite this, British colonial authorities framed female infanticide as a cultural problem, attributing it to the supposed backwardness of Indian society.
  • This narrative served to deflect attention from the colonial policies that had contributed to the problem.
• The Role of INGOs in Introducing Sex-Determination Technology
  • From the 1950s to the 1980s, the efforts of INGOs such as the Ford Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Population Council significantly influenced India’s approach to population control.
  • These organisations, motivated by Malthusian concerns about global overpopulation, saw India’s large and growing population as a major challenge to development.
  • Their agenda was rooted in a belief that reducing population growth was essential for India’s progress and global stability.
  • This perspective led them to aggressively promote policies that prioritised population control over other pressing public health issues.
  • A critical aspect of this INGO influence was the introduction of sex-determination technologies in India.
  • These technologies, including amniocentesis tests and later ultrasound machines, were initially developed for medical purposes such as detecting genetic disorders in foetuses.
  • However, their application in India quickly shifted towards determining the sex of the foetus, which led to a surge in sex-selective abortions
• The Spread of Sex-Determination Practices and the Normalisation of Female Foeticide
  • The initial intention behind promoting these technologies may not have been to encourage gender-selective abortions, but the INGOs’ focus on population control created conditions where such practices thrived.
  • In a country where cultural preferences for male children were already prevalent, the availability of technology to determine foetal sex led to a rapid rise in female foeticide.
  • Once amniocentesis and ultrasound technologies became accessible, families with a preference for male children began to use these methods to selectively abort female foetuses.
  • A paper published by I.C. Verma and colleagues in Indian Paediatrics defended the use of amniocentesis for sex selection, suggesting that it could help reduce unnecessary fecundity by allowing families to stop having children once a male child was born.
  • By 1978, over 1,000 female foetuses had been aborted at AIIMS alone, and by the early 1980s, sex-selective abortions had become widespread across India.
  • Between 1978 and 1983, it is estimated that around 78,000 female foetuses were aborted nationwide as the practice spread to other government hospitals and clinics.

Impact of Sex Determination Technology by INGOs on India's Demographic Landscape

• Decline in Sex Ratio
  • Census data from the decades following the introduction of these technologies reveals a marked decline in the child sex ratio.
  • In 1951, the ratio was 943 girls for every 1,000 boys, which was close to the natural sex ratio of about 950 girls per 1,000 boys.
  • However, by 1991, this ratio had dropped to 927, with the most significant declines occurring after the introduction of amniocentesis and ultrasound technologies in the late 1960s.
  • The decline in the sex ratio was especially severe in states with greater access to sex-determination technology, such as Punjab and Haryana, which are geographically close to Delhi, where many INGOs were headquartered.
• Missing Female Births: Lasting Impact on Indian Society
  • By 2001, these states recorded drastic drops in their child sex ratios, with Punjab at 876 and Haryana at 861 girls per 1,000 boys.
  • A 2006 study, published in The Lancet, estimated that between 1980 and 2010, approximately 10 million female births were missing in India due to the widespread practice of sex-selective abortion.
  • This meant that an average of 500,000 female foetuses were aborted annually, representing a massive demographic shift that has left a lasting impact on Indian society.

Way Forward

• As developing nations continue to engage with INGOs, it is crucial for local policymakers to exercise caution and scepticism when considering the advice of INGOs and consultancies.
• INGOs, despite their resources and expertise, often bring agendas that may not align with the priorities of local communities.
• Hence, local policymakers can ensure that foreign aid and expertise contribute positively to the country’s development goals, rather than perpetuating the historical patterns of exploitation and misjudgement that have too often characterized such engagements.

Conclusion

• The role of INGOs in exacerbating gender imbalances in India is a cautionary tale about the dangers of imposing external solutions without a deep understanding of local contexts.
• It highlights the importance of assessing the broader social impacts of technological and policy interventions.
• While the INGOs involved may have had good intentions, their focus on population control and their disregard for cultural nuances led to widespread harm.