Archive · 27 Sep 2025
Advocate's Decoy Ops Expose Doctors Performing Illegal Foeticide in India
Imagine doctors doing something bad: finding out if a baby is a girl and getting rid of it.
Varsha Deshpande noticed this and fought back for over 30 years.
She used 'spy' women, who pretended to want these tests to catch the doctors.
She also created programs to help women.
She's won an award for her work.
Despite facing threats, she continues her work to help women by creating shelters, legal aid, and food programs.
Advocate Varsha Deshpande has spent three decades fighting against female foeticide.
She led 56 decoy operations to expose doctors performing illegal sex determination tests.
These operations resulted in convictions under the PCPNDT Act.
Deshpande founded the Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal and initiated projects for women empowerment.
She received the 2025 United Nations Population Award for her work.
- Who
- Varsha Deshpande, an advocate for women's rights
- What
- Led 56 decoy operations against doctors performing illegal sex determination tests and female foeticide.
- When
- Over three decades
- Where
- India, particularly in Maharashtra
- Why
- To combat female foeticide and improve women's rights.
- Advocate
- Varsha Deshpande
- Organization
- Dalit Mahila Vikas Mandal (founded 1990)
- Decoy Operations
- 56 total
- Main focus
- Female foeticide and illegal sex determination tests
- Award Received
- 2025 UN Population Award
- Key Act
- Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act