A Study of Gender Disparities among the Districts of Haryana

Abstract

India’s demography is changing. At present, India is known worldwide for its demographic advantage on account of the young population at the time when world’s population is rapidly aging. Different aspect of this demographic advantage is the gender disparity.

Women comprise almost half of the human population of the world. No development can be thought without their help and support. Manusmriti(the ancient legal text of Hinduism) says,“yatr naryasto pojyantay, ramantay tatra devta [3/56](where women are provided place of honor, gods are pleased and reside there in that household)”but in much of South Asia and particularly in India sons are preferred over daughters and both are raised differently for a number of financial, economic, religious and social reasons including property inheritance, old age security, dowry, family lineage, power and prestige, rituals and beliefs about religious duties and salvation. A report by the United Nations' Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has revealed that the Indian girl child is the most vulnerable in world. Gender disparity is prevalent in different dimensions of life.

This paper is an attempt to study the inter district gender disparity in the Indian state of Haryana by examining the variables which have a bearing on gender and equity issues.