10 Gifts From God; One Family’s Defiance Against Sex-Selective Abortions

By Emily Hanna

Sex-selective abortion, although outlawed in Armenia in 2016, is still a common practice in rural areas. The ability to determine a baby's sex became available in Armenia in the late 1990s and since then sex-selective abortions have become a widespread practice. It’s been used mostly by parents who are expecting girls. 

Tucked away in Mrgashen village, Anush Kirakosyan, mother of nine girls and one boy, is one woman who is against selective abortion, mainly due to her own religious beliefs. She believes her children are gifts from God and therefore the pregnancy should not be terminated. Her husband, Arcrun Taroyan holds the same beliefs. 

In Armenia, as in many traditional countries around the world, men are often seen as the successors of their family and boys are typically more sought after rather than girls during pregnancy. A very common thought is that boys are to carry out their fathers legacy. And functionally, boys traditionally take care of their parents at old age. 

David, Anush’s seventh kid, and the only boy in the family, is constantly surrounded by his nine sisters, the oldest being 21 years. However, he is a big asset to the family and is often helping his mom around the house with chores. He also helps take care of his younger siblings, who are aged between 15 days to 21 years.

Syunik is the most prominent region facing the issue of sex-selective abortion in Armenia. An estimated 1,400 girls are not being born each year in the country. Nonetheless, the practice nowadays is less common than it was 10 years ago and many families and mothers, similar to Anush continue having baby girls.