Final answer:
Infanticide is the murder or abandonment of baby girls and is driven by cultural preference for having sons. It is a form of gender-based violence and discrimination, violating human rights and international laws. Selective abortion based on gender also contributes to imbalanced sex ratios in some regions.
Step-by-step explanation:
Infanticide refers to the murder or abandonment of baby girls. This practice has been observed in societies where there is a cultural preference for having sons. When a couple learns that they are expecting a female child, they may resort to infanticide as a means of eliminating the newborn daughter.
This act can be seen as one form of gender-based violence and discrimination. It demonstrates the social and cultural norms that devalue girls and reinforces patriarchal structures. Infanticide is considered a violation of human rights and is condemned by international laws.
A similar phenomenon can be observed in cases of selective abortion, where pregnancies are terminated upon discovering the fetus is female. This practice has resulted in imbalanced sex ratios in certain regions, such as in India and China.