An Indian woman and child walk past a bi

An Indian woman and child walk past a billboard in New Delhi on July 9, 2010, encouraging the birth of girls. Mostly as a result of sex-selective abortion, India is one of the few countries worldwide with an adverse child sex ratio in favour of boys. Under Indian law, tests to find out the gender of an unborn baby are illegal if not done for medical reasons, but the practice continues in what activists say is a flourishing multi-million-dollar business. Girls in India are often considered a liability, as parents have to put away large sums of money for dowries at the time of their marriage. AFP PHOTO/RAVEENDRAN (Photo credit should read RAVEENDRAN/AFP via Getty Images)