WOMEN AND MEN IN INDIA 2023

Population Projections

●Future Trends: By 2036, India’s population is expected to reach 152.2 crore. The female percentage is projected to increase slightly to 48.8% from 48.5% in 2011. This suggests a positive trend towards gender balance.

●Age Demographics: The proportion of individuals under 15 years is expected to decrease, likely due to declining fertility rates. Conversely, the proportion of the elderly (60 years and above) is anticipated to rise significantly.

Gender Ratio Improvements

●Sex Ratio: The sex ratio, an indicator of gender equality, is projected to improve from 943 females per 1,000 males in 2011 to 952 by 2036. This indicates progress in balancing the gender ratio.

Fertility Rates

●Age-Specific Fertility Rates: The fertility rates for women aged 20-24 and 25-29 have decreased, showing a trend towards delayed childbearing. For women aged 35-39, the fertility rate has increased, suggesting a trend towards family expansion later in life.

●Adolescent Fertility Rate: The rate is significantly lower among literate women (11.0) compared to illiterate women (33.9). This highlights the importance of education in reducing early pregnancies.

Maternal and Infant Mortality

●Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR): India has made notable progress in reducing MMR, achieving a rate of 97 per lakh live births for the period 2018-20. This is a significant step towards meeting the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of 70 by 2030.

• Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) measures the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes per 100,000 live births.

●Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has decreased for both genders, with the rate for females equalizing with that of males at 28 per 1,000 live births in 2020. The Under-5 Mortality Rate has also reduced, indicating improvements in child health.

• Infant mortality rate (IMR) measures the number of deaths of infants under one year of age per 1,000 live births.

Labour Force Participation

●The Labour Force Participation Rate (LFPR) for both genders has increased.

●For men, it rose from 75.8% to 78.5% between 2017-18 and 2022-23, while for women, it increased from 23.3% to 37% during the same period. This indicates greater female involvement in the workforce.

Voter Turnout

●Election Participation: Women’s voter turnout has increased over the years. In the 2019 elections, women’s participation reached 67.2%, surpassing men’s turnout for the first time. This reflects growing political engagement among women.

Women Entrepreneurs

●Start-Up Ecosystem: As of December 2023, there are 1,17,254 recognized start-ups in India, with 55,816 led by women. This represents 47.6% of all start-ups, showcasing the growing role of women in the entrepreneurial sector.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Despite significant progress, maternal and child mortality rates remain high in many parts of India. How does gender discrimination contribute to these disparities? What are the specific challenges faced by women and children in accessing quality maternal and child healthcare services, and what interventions can be implemented to improve outcomes?