Sex selection in India

The Wall Street Journal had an article today describing the battle over ultrasound machines in India. In India, prenatal ultrasounds are often used to disclose the sex of the child (a practice which is illegal in India), and parents abort female unborn children. According to a BBC article last year, it is estimated that half a million female babies are aborted each year. As a result, in some areas in India, there are only 793 girls for every 1000 boys. Suprisingly, families that are well off are more likely to abort their female children, most likely because they can afford the ultrasound tests.

From a Western point of view, it seems bizzare that an increasing standard of living would lead to more discrimination against women. One would think that with increased wealth, the pressure would relax for needing male children as workers on farms. But in India, it seems that the sex selection is mostly a cultural issue.

I wonder what will happen as the gender ratio skews over time across the entire population. What will happen when there are large quantities of men who cannot find a bride? Will crime increase, and social structures break down? Perhaps this problem will eventually self-correct, as the rarity of women increases their perceived value in India.

I just don't understand how India can stand by and watch the wholesale slaughter of unborn female children. Are women really that worthless to them?