Overthe last 50 years, the most striking forms of inequality, includingdiscrimination against women in access to education, health, employment,political participation, and household resources, have been largely reversed.But dramatic gender inequities persist in South Asia, more so than in otherlow-income countries. Although gender parity in primary education has improved,dropout rates for girls are higher than for boys. The dowry tradition putspressure on girls’ families to marry them early, leading to a preference forsons – and thus to sex-specific abortions targeting female fetuses.Legislation, courts, and law-enforcement mechanisms have failed to address thehigh incidence of violence against women. Death rates for young girls are muchhigher than for boys.