Goa, with a sex ratio of 973 women for every 1000 men, as per the 2011 census, ranks 10th in the list of States, yet this figure is quite higher than the national average of 943. Compared to Daman and Diu, which has a sex ratio of 618, Goa’s is pretty high, but not when compared with Kerala that has 1084 women for every 1000 men. Chhattisgarh, Odisha and nine other States have a better sex ratio than Goa. Can’t the State meet the ratios of the other States, or at least improve the current sex ratio?
That is, however, just part of the story. The sex ratio shows an improvement from 961 in the 2001 census to 973 in the year 2011. So Goa, actually has been seeing an improvement, especially when one looks at the figures from 1991 onwards. So in a certain manner it is a cause to be cheerful about, but one can’t really do so. Goa had a high sex ratio in the year 1961 of 1066 women for every 1000 men that dropped to 981 just ten years later, in the decade after Liberation. It is from this drop that the State is still recovering, and is far from catching up with the sex ratio it had it 1961, or for that matter even in 1971, when it saw the first reduction.
One of the reasons for the imbalance in the sex ratio in the country, however, could be that in India there is a preference for a male heir and discrimination against the female child. While the government has been attempting to correct this, the low sex ratio has led to men outnumbering women in the country by a rather massive figure. The nation has realised this and there have been programmes initiated to try and correct this figure, and that may be one reason why the sex ratio in Goa has seen a slight improvement. It is, however, not enough. The State has to aspire to have a more balanced sex ratio, as the consequences of a skewed figure could have far reaching and long-term repercussions.
There are some being felt already, as it is not uncommon to read reports of men in some of the Indian States not finding brides and so moving to other States in search of companions. This has been occurring for a good few years and will only increase if there is no correction in the sex ratio. Studies have also shown that the imbalance leads to an increase in sexual crimes and it cannot be ignored that in India rapes and assaults on school girls have been happening. Interestingly, the States with a low sex ratio aren’t the poor States of India, but some of the wealthy ones, including the national capital territory of Delhi. Changing this to a positive sex ratio has to be a priority.
Goa can be the State to lead the country in rectifying the skewed sex ratio. Kerala may be at the top, but if Goa can surge ahead from its 10th position to among the top five, than its practices can be emulated in other States to bring that balance among the numbers of males and females in the country. That’s a challenge that the government and the people should take upon themselves this Women’s Day. The improvement in the sex ratio has to spur the State to take it further. With its high literacy and highly modern society Goa can make the difference.
