#DataViz: How India’s Women & Girls Have Fared In The Modi Years

Noida: Women’s Empowerment and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

“We cannot achieve success if 50% of our population being women are locked at home,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi is quoted as saying, in this press release from March 2023. Women-led development was one of the themes in last year’s G20 summit, which India had presided over.

Gender Inequality Index

India ranks 108 of 193 countries on the Gender Inequality Index in 2022, an improvement of 14 positions from the previous year. The index, computed by the United Nations Development Programme, ranks countries based on reproductive health, labour market opportunities and empowerment of women.

Improvement in Utilization of Services

Women’s leadership in the various development programmes launched by the government led to the improvement in the utilization of these services, according to Akhila Sivadas, Executive Director of the Centre for Advocacy and Research.

State of Women and Girls in India

Ahead of the general elections beginning this week, we look at critical indicators to study the state of women and girls in India. More women are now giving birth in a health facility and getting at least four antenatal care visits, but the poorest women still have low levels of maternal care. The sex ratio at birth has increased overall, but this masks regional disparities with several states still performing poorly.

Education and Employment

More girls are enrolling in secondary school and drop-out rates at that level have fallen, but still, three in five girls aged 16 to 18 years are out of school. Further, more than three in five women are out of the labour force, and while unemployment rates have fallen to under 3%, this number masks much under-employment, studies show.

Crime Against Women

The rate of crime against women has increased over the years, national data show, but this could be from an improvement in reporting the crimes, studies suggest.

Maternal Health in India

Improvement in Utilization of Maternal Health Services

Utilization of maternal health services increased between 2005-06 and 2019-20, as seen from the National Family Health Survey data on women who had institutional deliveries and antenatal care visits. This was a result of the removal of financial barriers to access to healthcare, and of various pro-poor policies, according to this 2021 study.

Disparities in Utilization of Services

However, utilization of these services among poor women needs improvement. Nearly every woman in the highest wealth quintile–that is, the wealthiest 20%–gave birth in a health facility, while among the lowest 20%, every fourth woman delivered outside a health facility, most of them at home. Similarly, 72% women in the highest wealth quintile reported having four or more antenatal care visits, while in the lowest quintile, only 42% women did so.

Maternal Mortality Ratio

Between 2014 and 2020, India reduced its maternal mortality ratio (MMR) from 135 to 97, a reduction of 25% in six years. By contrast, the global MMR has reduced by only 3% in the same period. Yet, India ranks 119 on the list of countries ranked by MMR.

Improvement in Sex Ratio at Birth

Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Initiative

Improvement in maternal health was one of the objectives of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, the flagship scheme of the Modi government. Among its other objectives was an improvement in the sex ratio at birth (SRB). In 2015, the sex ratio at birth was 918. This number increased to 934 in 2022, as per the Health Management Information System (HMIS) data.

Regional Disparities

Several large states–Bihar, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and West Bengal–saw their sex ratios at birth falling in 2021-22, leading to a drop in the national figure. Overall, Bihar had the lowest sex ratio at birth, at 898 girls per 1,000 boys, followed by Haryana (920), Delhi and Nagaland (924), and Gujarat (927). Mizoram had the highest (994), followed by Sikkim (981) and Kerala (968).

Education of Girls in India

Enrollment in Secondary School

Enrollment of girls at the secondary and higher secondary levels has increased. However, one out of every five girls between the ages of 14 and 16 years was not enrolled in school in 2021-22. Similarly, two in five girls aged 16 to 18 years were not in school.

Dropout Rate

The dropout rate at the secondary level has also decreased.

Crime Against Women

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
• SDG 4: Quality Education
• SDG 5: Gender Equality
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article addresses various issues related to women’s health, education, gender equality, labor force participation, and crime against women, which are connected to these SDGs.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• SDG 3.1: By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.
• SDG 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education.
• SDG 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere.
• SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres.
• SDG 5.5: Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life.
• SDG 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities.
• SDG 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
• SDG 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere.

These targets reflect the specific areas of focus mentioned in the article.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Maternal mortality ratio (MMR) – Indicator for SDG 3.1
• Enrollment rates and dropout rates of girls in secondary school – Indicators for SDG 4.1
• Gender Inequality Index (GII) – Indicator for SDG 5.1
• Crime rate against women and reporting rates – Indicators for SDG 5.2 and SDG 16.1
• Labor force participation rate of women – Indicator for SDG 8.5
• Income levels and gender pay gap – Indicators for SDG 10.2

These indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets mentioned in the article.

Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: indiaspend.com

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