Silent Fall Director's Blog

Gendercide: Where have all the girls gone?

Evan — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 19:06:37 +0000

The Silent Fall Documentary is a global exploration of the diverse cultural forces undermining the value of human life and the social injustices that result. A perfect example of this is gendercide, which has been defined as sex-selective or gender-selective mass killing. One might think that sex-selective infanticide and abortion are relatively uncommon, but this could not be further from the truth.

Undisputed evidence exists that over 100 million women have been killed for the “crime” of being female since the 1970s and 1980s and the problem is only growing worse (source). The United Nations estimate that 200 million females are missing in the world; women who should have been born or grown up, but were killed by infanticide or selective abortion (source). This practice has resulted in some major demographic problems for some nations.

“While many countries around the world have a small imbalance in their juvenile sex ratios for biological reasons, the imbalance in countries such as China and India is acute, and is indicative of prenatal sex selection by parents – the tendency of parents to abort female fetuses based on prenatal ultrasounds. A study based on a survey of over 5 million children in China found that among children born between 1985 and 1989, there were 926 female births for 1,000 male births. But, among children born between 2000 and 2004, the number had fallen to 806. Thus, in both countries, the situation appears to be worsening.” (source)

Sex-selective abortion and infanticide is a common practice in China in order to comply with a strict government One Child Policy that coincides with the cultural tradition of male-child preference and discrimination against women.

The trafficking of women in, to, and from China is one of China’s most serious human rights violations. According to the 2008 U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, China remains “a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced labor.”

“In India, like China, there is a strong son preference for various socio-economic reasons, such as the son being responsible for carrying on the family name and support in old age. Furthermore, in some sections of India it is believed that only sons can perform the last rites for parents. Since the 1970s, India’s government has promoted a two-child family as “ideal.” While no formal laws exist, the general fertility decline in the country has led to smaller families, with couples still preferring to have at least one son. Complicating matters even further in India is the dowry system, where families pay large sums in order to marry off their daughters.” (source)

Generally, in Indian society, woman who produce only daughters are pitied, in some cases abused and in many cases regarded as betrayers.

A woman who had nine abortions of females said it’s important to have a son because of the family’s big business.

“I want what my husband has built from scratch to go to his own blood,” she said.

It’s not just the assets of having a son that motivate gendercide – carrying on the family name or business and taking care of elderly parents. The practice of providing a dowry to the grooms’ family creates an enormous financial burden on parents who have a daughter.

Families in India and China are experiencing intense pressure as a result of deeply established cultures and traditions. In the wake of that pressure, girls are being devalued as compared to boys.

In recent years various Indian state governments and media houses have launched initiatives to address the gender imbalances, including “Save the Girl Child” campaigns. China too has enacted laws in an effort to meet its goal of lowering the sex ratio at birth to normal levels by 2010. However, China has pledged to keep its one-child policy in place until the year 2050, a policy which it admits is “related” to the large sex imbalances in the country.

The question remains, what about the rights of millions of girls to live their lives? It seems to be such a clear violation of the right to live. But what is the story behind the shocking story? How can culture justify infanticide? And what does it take to impact cultural mindsets and stop this extreme gender discrimination?

The Silent Fall team will be exploring these questions in places like China and India, and we invite you to stay connected with us as we delve into the impact of culture on such serious human rights abuses.

These are truly questions of life and death!

Thank you for journeying with us,

Evan Davis
Shadowline Films

The Many Faces of the Culture of Death

Evan — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:10:21 +0000

If there is one thing I am realizing as I seek a global perspective on this issue , it is that the diverse and unique cultural dynamics around the world have a significant impact on people’s understanding of the value of life. This is vividly illustrated in a website I recently discovered.

From the Hakani website:

“There are topics that no one likes to speak about. When an indigenous woman from the Arawa tribe, in the Amazon, leaves to give birth no one

will go with her. This is a moment that is uniquely hers. She leaves on
her own, even if she is very young and is having her first baby. She
looks for a tree or bush that she can lean on; she crouches and then
faces the pain. It is then, at the time of childbirth, that this young
mother has the great responsibility of deciding the future of the
child. She can only keep the baby, if he/she is perfect.

“If for any reason, she returns home without the baby in her arms,
silence falls. No one asks what happened. Not even the father of the
child, or the grandparents, not even her best friend. The young mother
lies down in her hammock, many times without courage or strength, even
to cry. The matter ends right there. No one asks why she returned
without her baby. The mother will have to deal on her own, in silence,
for the rest of her life, with the memory of this curse, this bad luck,
and this unhappiness. Sometimes, you can hear in the distance, the
muffled cries of the child, abandoned to die in the forest. The crying
only stops when the child loses consciousness or when some wild animal
devours him. Or when some relative, annoyed by the persistent crying,
decides to silence it with an arrow or a club. After this, there is
total silence.

“Infanticide is taboo. Just as the subject is avoided in indigenous
societies, it is also avoided in our society. No one talks about it, no
one confronts it, and no one takes a stand against it. The most
comfortable position is one of omission – omission, many times
disguised as respect for cultural difference.”

We are encouraged to respect diversity and honor cultural differences. But what do we do when those cultural traditions include burying children alive?

Hakani didn’t develop like the other children when she was small. Even at two years old, she did not walk or talk. As a result, her tribe put pressure on her parents to kill her. Rather than take the life of their daughter, her parents took their own lives, leaving behind Hakani and four other orphaned children.

Her oldest brother, now held responsible by the tribe to kill Hakani, buried her alive. She was rescued, but due to the demands of tradition, was abandoned to live for the next three years on rain water, bark, leaves, and insects, and occasionally, scraps of food one of her brothers smuggled to her. During those years, she endured unimaginable abuse and neglect.

Eventually her brother, Bibi, rescued her, carrying her to the home of a YWAM missionary couple who had been working for 20 years with the Suruwaha Indians in the Amazon Basin. At five and a half years of age; she weighed 15 pounds and was 27 inches long.

Today Hakani is twelve years old and lives with a bright, laughing smile. She dances, sings and loves art. Her voice today is a voice for life.

You can learn more about Hakani along with the stories of other children rescues from infanticide at hakani.org.

Demographic Bomb

Evan — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:22:37 +0000

You have probably heard about the documentary film, Demographic Winter , which sounds the alarm on the demographic and economic crisis ahead as a result of declining replacement fertility rates throughout the world. Well, the sequel to Demographic Winter , Demographic Bomb is now available and I highly recommend you get a copy of both films and watch them.

The population bomb scare that spread throughout the world in the 1970’s has been one of the primary driving forces behind falling fertility rates. Demography is destiny, yet complex cultural values continue to lead to a frightening decline in the human family. Learn more about Demographic Bomb here.

Emmy Award-winning composer to do music for Silent Fall

Evan — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 13:34:46 +0000

We are very excited to announce that Emmy Award-winning composer, Charles David Denler, has agreed to do the music for the Silent Fall documentary. Charles is an extraordinarily gifted composer and musician and we feel blessed to have him on board.

With nearly 100 films and television programs to his credit, Charles Denler’s multiple Emmy Award-winning music can be heard all over the world. His ability to work in a wide variety of genres, and his collaborative work sense, has made him a top choice among producers and directors. Charles’ classical training and strong proficiency with contemporary sound allow him great flexibility and versatility as a composer.

Charles received critical acclaim by winning an EMMY in 2004 for his work on Bentley Creek and went on to receive his second EMMY in 2005 for his score to Beyond The Medal Of Honor.

After completing studies at the Berklee School of Music, Boston, Charles began his career as a recording artist, releasing eight albums and working with a number of leading producers in the industry. Charles’ musical credits also include the legendary Youssou NDour of Peter Gabriel.

Upon meeting Hardy Jones and Julia Whitty, Parthenon Entertainment, Charles was asked to write music for their National Geographic production, Twenty Years with the Dolphins. It was then that Charles fell in love with the art of film scoring. Following with two more Geographic projects, he went on to write for numerous other documentaries, film and television programs, and promotional work that included the main theme for the new STARZ! Kids’ Television Network, music for Animal Planet, The History Channel, PBS, NBC, HDNet and many feature film productions.

Charles is well versed in blending symphonic orchestra with world instrumentation. He is fluent with many indigenous instruments, such as flute techniques associated with Peru, Native American Indian, Japanese Raku, and various world percussion.

Please go to Charles’ website to learn more about him and hear some examples of his work.