Nisreen weeps after her toddler daughter dies, but the tears are few. This was her second girl to die, primarily from neglect — and she has six more at home. Her last pregnancy was spent in constant prayer to finally give birth to the boy her husband so desperately desires. Running the house from the meagre earnings of a maid, she has little time or money to care for her numerous daughters who often roam the streets with no food in their bellies, no slippers on their feet, and sometimes, missing a shalwar or a kameez owing to abject poverty.

Despite a growing population, the growth in the use of contraceptives has become stagnant. This is an extremely alarming situation as no amount of bailouts can indefinitely support the roughly six million babies birthed in the country every year. Other forms of birth control, such as internal uterine devices and injectables, have shown similarly marginal growth as well.

The traditional thinking of the superiority of sons over daughters is still dominant in many sections of society, and then there is the social stigma of social planning disguised as religious tenants. Yet, beyond accusations of manipulation, last year’s census sparked no drive that could stem the growth in population, hence preventing more tragedies like Nisreen’s.

Published in Dawn, The Business and Finance Weekly, April 8th, 2024