Demographic Transition and its Impact on Women?s lives

Demographic Transition and its Impact on Women’s lives

News: World Population Day which was celebrated on11th July calls for a closer relook at how India’s demographic journey has impacted lives of women.

India’s Demographic Transition:
• India’s population grew from about 340 million at Independence to 1.4 billion.
• The population growth was fuelled by the improvement in public health, food security, medical miracles and rapid decline in mortality.
• Total Fertility rate fell from 5.7 in 1950 to 2.1 in 2019.

How women’s lives transformed over this demographic transition?

Impact on Childhood:
• Sex-selective abortions have declined – girl-survival rate improved.

Impact during adulthood:
• Declined fertility created space for education and employment in women’s lives. Over 70% of girls enrolled in Secondary education.
• However, early marriage and childbearing are still predominant forces that define women’s lives and choices they have to make. Consequently, window of opportunity for acquiring specific skills is missed and only unskilled work is open to them.
• Thus, lower fertility hasn’t translated into higher labour force participation for women.

Impact during Old age:
• Women generally marry men who are older and are more likely to outlive their husbands.
• The 2011 Census shows that about 55% of women aged above 65 are widowed compared to only 18% of men.
• For widowed women, the lack of access to savings and property results in dependence on children, mainly sons, bringing the vicious cycle of son preference to full circle.

Way Forward
• It is important to do away with gendered disadvantage. Steps should be taken to enhance women’s access to employment and assets.
• Improve women’s labour force participation by providing safe and affordable childcare.
• National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) can be used to develop social infrastructure where NREGS workers can help staff crèches. For example, Creche facilities in Aanganwadi’s in MP led to an increase in work participation of mothers.
• The burgeoning self-help group movement can be harnessed to set up neighbourhood child-care centres in urban and rural areas.
Source – The Hindu