Abstract Page
Gender equality in today’s era is the most important objective for development. Smart economics is represented by the gender equality. Greater the gender equality, greater are the chances of improved productivity, development outcomes for the coming generation are improved and institutions look more representative. This study aims to understand the Declining Sex Ratio in India, What are the reasons for declining child sex ratio, the gender gap and the need for policy reforms that should be taken to improve this Sex Ratio in India. Sex ratio is defined as the number of females against 1000 males.
The result shows that in 2011, at the national level, the child sex ratio in India was 914 females against 1000 males which was one of the lowest since independence. Whereas, in 2001, the child sex ratio was 927 females against 1000 males. Though the general sex ratio, taking men and women of all ages has been steadily increasing across the country over last 20 years for both urban and rural areas, declining child sex ratio in the country poses a danger for the future of the women population in the country. So, the present study aims to understand why child sex ratio is declining in India and what possible measures should be taken to improve it. This is because gender equality matters a lot for the society. More effective policy changes and a representation of a range of voices can be brought in by empowering women as social, political and economic actors.
Gender equality is the most important objective for development in its own right. Smart economics is represented by the gender equality. Greater the gender equality, greater are the chances of improved productivity, development outcomes for the coming generation are improved and institutions look more representative. Forty-three percent of the world’s labor force in agriculture and forty percent of the global labor force are now represented by women. Women are now part of more than half of the university students in the world. If the skills and talents of women are utilized fully, productivity can increase a lot.
Gender equality matters a lot for the society. More effective policy changes and a representation of a range of voices can be brought in by empowering women as social, political and economic actors. In India, giving more power to women led to increase in the provision of some basic needs like sanitation and water which meant a lot for the women. If the practice of discrimination against women is continued in the society, India can no longer claim to be a part of the civilized world. Since the apathy for the girl child and preference for boy child is still ongoing in India, the child sex Ratio in India had dropped to one of the lowest since independence in 2011, 914 females against 1000 males, which is very low.
In 2011, there was an increase in overall sex ratio which was 940 females against 1000 males but the child sex ratio of 914 overshadowed that. The overall sex ratio was highest since Census of 1971. The increasing child sex ratio showed 914 in the latest census which was very shocking and it slipped from 927 in 2001.
Data and Statistics
The population census released in 2011 in India created a huge debate among policy makers and researchers for the declining child sex ratio (0-6 years). Considering India’s terrible record in the past regarding the removal of female fetuses even before birth and death of the female child in higher proportion as compared to the male child, the latest census proves that different methods to educate, motivate and encourage people not to prefer male child over the female child are a big failure. With just 914 girls against 1000 boys, the child sex ratio is at the lowest level since 1961 in India. The following chart shows the number of girls against per1000 boys across different religions in the country.
Figure 1 Child Sex ratio across religion
The Census 2011 chart above shows that people from other faiths apart from major religions in the country have the highest sex ratio of 974 girls to 1000 boys. Christians have second highest child sex ratio of 970 girls to100 boys. There was a tremendous rise in the population of the female child in the Sikhs community as the sex ratio increased from 786 to 828 in 10 years. Jain Community also saw a rise in child sex ratio to 889 girls against 1000 boys as compared to 870 girls in 2001. The child sex ratio of Hindus came down from 925 in 2001 to 913 in 2011. Christians, Buddhists, and Muslims also saw a decrease in child sex ratio in 2011.
Reasons for Declining Sex Ratio
Demographic analysis proves that the practice of sex-selective abortion i.e. of female fetuses is the major cause of this declining child sex ratio in India. Excess female mortality and under-numbering of women were also other causes of the deficit child sex-ratio in the past. Other practices that are prevalent in the society are the avoidance of girl child if the couple already has one daughter. It has also been analyzed from the survey data that child sex ratio at the second birth for people who already have a girl child is much lower than the couples having the son as their first child.
Women work is always devalued and they have limited decision-making power. Sex determination tests gave people an option whether to have the girl child? So, these sex determination tests were banned by the Indian parliament in 1983 and Pre-Natal Diagnostic techniques act was passed in 1994, but loopholes and difficulties in the provisions of the Act did not provide many satisfactory results like inspection and monitoring, lack of staff, less understanding of the law etc. Defaulters should be strictly punished. Children should be educated to refrain from dowry, gender bias and female foeticide practices.
Rural-Urban Divide
There is a healthier trend in the child sex ratio in rural areas as compared to the urban areas of the country. According to 2011 census, the child sex ratio in rural areas was 923 girls against 1000 boys. In the urban areas, the child sex ratio was merely 905. The nationwide child sex ratio was also pulled down to 918 because of the poor child sex ratio in the urban areas as shown in the chart below.
Figure 2 Rural-Urban Child sex ratio
As shown in the chart above, the sex ratio for the entire population, taking men and women of all ages is also better in rural areas i.e. 949 females as compared to 929 females in the urban areas. The nationwide sex ratio for the entire population stood at 943 according to 2011 census as compared to 933 in 2001.
Figure 3 Sex Ratio in India for Total Population
Though it has been observed that general sex ratio, taking men and women of all ages has been steadily increasing across the country over last 20 years for both urban and rural areas, declining child sex ratio in the country poses a danger for the future of the women in the country. This declining child sex ratio (age 0-6) leads to diminishing sex ratio in the country. From all this analysis, it has been made clear that the population of India will always be haunted by this imbalance set at such an early age group which cannot be removed.
Gender Gap in India
The gender gap in India is a little better than other bad news of the country. Over one million women in India are into the political system. Over last fifty years, in the executive offices, sixteen years were occupied by the female head. India has the fourth position in the world for the female head of the government. Around eleven percent of the parliamentary positions and ten percent of the positions in ministry are held by females, so, for these two indicators, India is placed at 100th and 93rd positions in the world. Around 200 women in India die every day due to pregnancy-related issues or during childbirth. This places India in 131st position in the world which is the world’s worst sex ratio at birth. In India, the normal sex ratio at birth is 1.12 boys for every girl. Out of 1000 births, the infant mortality rate is also greater for girls 61 as compared to 56 for boys.
Necessary steps to be taken for improving Sex Ratio in India
Various comprehensive policies have been launched to target practice of sex selection like PCPNDT act bans the use of any technique that can be used to determine the sex of the fetus. The government should also take necessary steps needed to curb the preference of boy child over girl child which is so prevalent in the society. National Girl child day is celebrated on Jan 29th every year (declared in 2009) which is aimed at loving the girl child, Beti Bachao i.e. saving the girl child. Various cash transfer schemes have also been implemented by the government like Ladli, Dhan Lakshmi, Kanyadan, Beti Hai Anmol etc. These are aimed at poor families and provide various cash amounts at the age of 18 to the girls. Cultural attitude also needs a change, practices which devaluate the females like violence against women, preference of son, property rights etc. should be removed from the society.
The Sex Ratio in India can be increased by adopting concurrent policies, strict actions, and rules for promoting gender equality, the ban of sex-selective diagnostic techniques, increasing jobs for women and ensuring security at old-age.
Conclusion
A nation can prosper when it has gender equality. Greater the gender equality, greater are the chances of improved productivity and development outcomes for the coming generation are improved. Since, in Indian society succession and descent, are mostly through males and sons carry property rights also, daughters are always regarded as temporary members. Conscious efforts should be taken to give equal preference to the girl child and thus increase the child sex ratio in India.
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