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Author	Assoc Prof Dr. Krati Rajoria
Organisation/Institution	National Law Institute University Bhopal
Country	INDIA
Panel	Women and Law
Title	Empowering Asia through Gender Justice: Lessons from India’s Legal Battle against Female Foeticide
Abstract	Across Asia, gender justice has always played a crucial role in nation-building and sustainable development, yet practices such as female foeticide, particularly widespread in countries like India, China and parts of South Asia, continue to undermine this goal. Despite India’s robust constitutional and legislative framework against sex-selective practices, incidents of female foeticide persist. Numerous cases are reported, while many likely go unreported. The declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) serves as an indicator of this continuing issue and reflects the complexities of translating legal mandates into social transformation. This paper aims to analyse India’s legal response to female foeticide—primarily through the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994—within a broader socio-legal discourse on gender justice, equality, sustainability, and social change. By examining statutory provisions, judicial pronouncements, and policy initiatives, the study explores how India’s experience offers valuable insights for other Asian jurisdictions confronting similar challenges of gender bias and demographic imbalance. It argues that law, while a powerful instrument of social reform, cannot alone eradicate gender-based practices unless supported by education, institutional accountability, community engagement, and socio-cultural change. The paper situates gender justice within the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals not only as a national imperative but also as a regional pathway towards a more equitable and sustainable Asia, where empowerment begins with protecting female life itself.
Biography	Dr. Krati Rajoria is an associate professor at National Law Institute University Bhopal (NLIU). Before joining NLIU, she was working as an associate professor and head of the Department of Law at Prestige Institute of Management and Research, Gwalior (PIMRG). She has also taught at Amity Law School, AUMP, and National Law University, Jodhpur. She completed her schooling at Scindia Kanya Vidyalaya and graduated in law from Jiwaji University, Gwalior, and appeared in the Common Law Admission Test (CLAT) and secured All India Rank 1st in the women's category (2nd overall). She completed her LL.M. in business law from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore. She has also qualified the University Grants Commission-National Eligibility Test for teaching and has been awarded her PhD in Law. She has authored a short book on maritime law and a textbook on company law (1st, 2nd, and 3rd editions) and has revised Dr. R.K. Bangia’s book on company law. She has delivered invited lectures in various national and international seminars, conferences, and workshops in the domain of corporate law and legal writing. She has also presented papers in international and national conferences, including the Asian Law Institute Conference in 2020 hosted by NLU Delhi and in 2024 hosted by Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok (Thailand), and the Asian Law School Association Conference 2024 hosted by the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She has also published several research papers in reputed journals.