Drawing from Rittel and Webber’s theorizing of ‘wicked problems’ we conceptualize ‘unwanted-ness’ of girls in India, as a wicked problem. We examine theoretical arguments and interventions of the state to unpack the wickedness of the problem. We argue that the Indian state in its vision and treatment is either unable or unwilling to grapple with the “wickedness” of the problem, and chooses to frame it as a ‘tame’ one. We hope to bring to light the wickedness of the problem and make a call for its nuanced understanding, so as to ameliorate the gender inequalities.
We specifically, narrate the story of distorted sex ratios. India has 919 female girl children for every 1000 male children according to its 2011 census, which was a further dip from its previous census in 2001. Sex ratio has as objective, we argue, has provided a “comforting illusion” (Stone 2012, p. 197), and in the process invisibilized the paradoxes that underlie the wicked problem of female ‘unwanted-ness.’ We discuss the story of the number, how it gained meaning and power, and parallelly draw attention to the stories and paradoxes it ‘hides’ (ibid, p.191). We specifically focus on how paradoxes are revealed in state’s interventions; making it not only a respondent to distorted sex ratios, but also complicit in this ‘reductive problematisation.’ Distorted sex ratio, as an indicator, is surely a reflection of overtly violent and patriarchal practices in our society. Even so, the use of the child sex ratio as an objective, makes invisible, the daily practices governed by social norms that contribute to the unwanted status of girls. This invisibilisation can ironically be seen as emerging from patriarchal needs. To put it in the words of Kumar (1983) — “fathers may not want daughters, but men want women” (p. 63).
IRSPM_unwanted_girls_wicked_problem_asarin.pdf 