Decline in Haryana Sex Ratio at Birth 2024

In the year 2024, the state’s sex ratio in newly born babies was recorded to be going down as the figure was 910 female children to 1000 male children. This is the lowest result that has been recorded in the last 8 years and should raise some concern despite an increase in some beacons of hope in recent years. The sex ratio at birth is key to gender equality and shows how thw women and girls in is treated in that society. Any further drop in this ratio means that gender discrimination and bias persist and are major challenges to the social and, especially, economic future of the women in the state.

Understanding the Sex Ratio at Birth:

The sex ratio at birth (SRB) means the number of girls born per 1000 boys born. A favorable sex ratio is a goal that is set for all countries of the world and is a benchmark for gender equality. In India, an ideal proportion of SRB should remain nearly 940–960 female children per 1000 male children. The latest data for India’s SRB is from the National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5), released in 2021 wherein the project rates the figure at 929. On the other hand, there has been always a problem of how to reduce the SRB of Haryana, and though various measures have been taken, and different policies implemented, the problem persists.

• Sex Ratio in India (2024)

  • Current Sex Ratio: Hundred female per one hundred male ratio was 940/1000, a little down from 943 /1000 recorded in 2011.

• Regional Variations

  • Higher Sex Ratios:

    • Kerala: 1,084 females per 1,000 males

    • Tamil Nadu: 1,018 females per 1,000 males

    • Andhra Pradesh: 1,008 females per 1,000 males

  • Lower Sex Ratios:

    • Haryana: 879 females/ 1000 males (lowest)

    • Delhi: 870 females per 1,000 males

    • Jammu and Kashmir: 883 females per 1,000 males

• Future Trends: 

  • According to the estimates by 2036, the sex ratio is expected to enhance and reach 952 females per 1000 males, more so, the female population percentage is expected to rise from 48.5% in 2011 to 48.8 percent by 2036.

• Sex Ratio at Birth (SRB)

  • Improvement: SRB increased to 933 females for 1000 males in 2022-23 from 918 in 2014-15.

  • Rural areas: 949 females per 1,000 males

  • Urban areas: 929 females per 1,000 males

• Census-2011:An analysis of literacy rate State / UT wise

  • Highest Sex Ratios:

    • Kerala region with an extreme number of 1,084 was followed by Tamil Nadu, 996, and Andhra Pradesh 992.

  • Lowest Sex Ratios:

    • Haryana (879), Jammu & Kashmir (883), Sikkim (889).

• Child Sex Ratio (0-6 years)

  • Highest: Mizoram (971), Meghalaya (970), Chhattisgarh (964)

  • Lowest: Haryana (830/1000), Punjab (846/1000), and Jammu & Kashmir (859/1000)

• Key Facts

  • The sex ratio of the country has come down from 972 in 1951 to 943 in 2011.

  • The sex ratio in urban regions which was 860 in 2001 has risen to 929 in 2011.

  • The sex ratio at birth is usually predetermined at 105 boys per 100 girls internationally.

• Regional Challenges

  • Declining Sex Ratios: Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Goa, reflect a major decline.

  • Increasing Sex Ratios: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Delhi, Assam, and West Bengal have also shown a decline in cases.

Historical Context:

Taking data for child birth in 2014 the sex ratio at birth in Haryana was only 871 girls per 1000 boys the worst in India. This led to a ‘gender selection, ’ a new social malaise, and a widespread consideration to raise stern measures to counter this gender disparity. The Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act (PNDT Act) was meant solely to curb female infanticide and the “Beti Bachao Beti Padhao” (BBBP) initiative, to bring paramount consideration of the rights of girls for education and refinement. These intercessions showed some enhancements mainly because the SRB increased to 916 in 2023 from the previous year.

Factors Contributing to the Decline in the Sex Ratio at Birth:

• Weak Enforcement of the PNDT Act: As for the reduction in the SRB in 2024, the weakening of enforcement of the PNDT Act can be pointed out. However, what Haryana does is that the law against sex-selective abortions is still in force but recent studies report that practices such as determination of sex and selective abortion are still prevalent in some districts of Haryana. This issue is still relevant today because many organizations does not control or do not monitor such practices.

• Societal Preference for Sons: Preconceived cultural discrimination against daughters is still prevalent in Haryana and most parents want a male child to reap the benefits socially as well as getting richer by employing the male child. Husbands are expected to be future breadwinners and actively involved in the families’ sustenance, while wives are regarded as supplemental income since they need dowry for any family. But even today due to such social policies these biased social attitudes have left a long-lasting impact on the sex ratio even with such awareness campaigns.

• Economic Pressures and Changing Family Structures: There is a new trend in families having “only one boy child” for many reasons resulting from these economic factors such as high inflation rates, dwindling size of land portions inherited, and the Europe-Asia family sizes. I chose this phenomenon as a source of gender discrimination because, in families with little resources, daughters are often neglected.

• Limited Access to Healthcare and Education for Girls: The Education and healthcare needs of the girls in Haryana, remain a matter of concern to some extent even today. Most women in rural areas cannot afford quality care during their pregnancies and due to social-cultural barriers many of the female births may be underreported or neglected.

Government Initiatives and Their Impact:

• Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act (1994):The PNDT Act concerning preventing sex determination and female foeticide. More than 4 thousand people have been arrested under the Act in the state over the past decade. 

• ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ Campaign: This campaign which began in 2015 has sought to transform perceptions of girls by promoting the causative factors on the well-being of girls and their right to education. It has worked well in some districts raising the registration of female births and improving girls’ enrollment in school.

• Incentives for Families with Daughters: Today’s government of Haryana has launched plans like Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana to help families that consist of daughters so that they do not face tremendous burden when bringing up a girl child or feel that having a girl child is unfruitful as compared to having a boy child and to ensure that there is fairness for girls and boys before the law.

• Selfie with Daughter Campaign: This social media campaign was to make families proud to have daughters and to try and shift the culture that deems females inferior to males.

Recommendations to tackle the Challenges

• Increasing Awareness and Education: However, there seems to be a continuous need for advocacy to target the demographic and sensitize them on the rights of daughters, especially in rural areas. Awareness activities patronized through schools, colleges, and all rural upliftment projects can influence people’s thinking toward the eradication of this preference for sons.

• Incentivizing Community-Based Approaches: More so, communities should be encouraged to participate in the monitoring of gender equality and the SRB. Local administrative agents at the Village level may also be a part of the task force in collaboration with women groups and other civil organizations to ensure that the implementation process of SRB meets their expectations and is free from biases on gender.

• Strengthening Enforcement of the PNDT Act: There must be increased supervision of ultrasound clinics and there should be a stiff penalty for clinics that are ‘guilty’ of sex-determination. This should include inspection as well as the use of technology in monitoring and frowning at the practices.

• Empowering Women Economically: Measures such as improving women’s economic status by giving bonus points to women servants, and preferences in getting credit or in land and property rights will bring relief to the economic burden that may arise when one has daughters. This will come a long way in adding value to the lives of the female child in society.

• Improving Healthcare and Education for Girls: Ensuring the availability of health and nutrition services to women and girls the chance to educate as boys and financial support inclusive of scholarships and incentives to encourage girls to stay in school will go a long way in decreasing barriers to gender.

Conclusion

This consequence means that though change occurred Haryana requires more years to address the problem of gender inequality. However, the state in its attempt to improve the sex ratio at birth (SRB) by enforcing the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PNDT) Act (1994) and raising awareness, there are still cultures and beliefs. For the situation to improve regarding gender mainstreaming, and make governmental policies responsive, the government should step up efforts to try and enforce existing laws, change the socially acceptable paradigm, and empower women economically and socially. It is only possible with an intensive and outcome-oriented approach that helps Haryana to come closer to the needed changes in sex ratio and, further, to the gender equitable society.