Women have a better, safer and longer life in the Southern state of Kerala than in other parts of India, said the latest economic review of the state government released Thursday.
The survey said the states women had higher literacy, more access to money and a greater say in family matters.
Kerala, found the survey, had a sex ratio of 1.058 females per 1.000 males, much higher than the national average of 933. Females make up 16,37 million of the states 31,84 million population.
The life expectancy of women in the state is 75,9 years compared to the 61,8 Indian average.
Crime against women dropped in 2003 by 3,7 percent. Rape cases declined by 24 percent and molestation by 5,5 percent. Torture cases, however, showed a marginal increase of 1,1 percent, said the survey.
Women marry later (average of 22 years) than in the country (19,5 years). Sixty-three percent of the women marry after 21 years compared to 25,9 percent in India as a whole, said the survey.
Women have a better track record in education as well. Almost half the 4,9 million enrolments in the schools are of girls, the highest in India. And not just students, the state also has more women teachers than men – 68 percent up to high school and 54 percent in arts and science colleges.
The survey said that even in decision-making, Kerala women are far ahead. More than 66 percent of the states women have access to money compared to the national average of 59,6 percent.
Women head more than 22 percent households in the state compared to 10,3 percent in the country as a whole.
Kilde: The Push Journal
