It's a Girl (2012)

By Dan Clendenin

           In many places in the world, the three most dangerous words at birth are, "it's a girl." This documentary film focuses on India and China, the two most populous countries in the world, and two of the most notorious places where gendercide continues (despite laws against it). By one UN estimate, there are 200 million "missing girls" due to female feticide, infanticide, and gross neglect. In India, gendercide is driven by dowry practices. A groom is entitled to receive a dowry, a bride must pay one. In a land of horrible poverty, this means a huge economic loss for families of girls and an economic gain for families of boys. In China, gendercide is driven by the one child policy that is strictly enforced upon pain of forced abortions, forced sterilization, fines, and losing your job. This film allows women to tell their own stories, and draws upon experts and advocates to shine a harsh light on this dreadful practice. For more on this subject, see one of the many websites such as the "Gendercide Awareness Project." I watched this film on Netflix Streaming.