PANAJI
Findings of an analysis of population statistics released in a report of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have revealed a shockingly skewed sex ratio for Goa's population under the age of 7 -- 774 females per 1,000 males.
The difference in female to male ratio is the highest for all States in the country as per the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) 2019-21 report released by the Union Ministry.
In 2019-20 survey the ratio was a much higher 966 girls per 1,000 boys in the similar 0 to 5 years grouping.
Goa, however, fares much better for the overall population though. The sex ratio for the general population is a healthier 1,027 females for every 1,000 males, according to the NFHS 2019-21report.
SANITATION
The report reveals that in Goa, only 3 per cent of all households and 6 per cent of rural households do not use an improved sanitation facility; they use open spaces or fields.
Access to a toilet facility is high and ranges from 93 per cent among scheduled tribe households to 98 per cent among households which are not scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, or other backward class households.
Access to toilet facility is 96 per cent in North Goa (93% in rural areas) and 98 per cent in South Goa (96% in rural areas).
POSSESSIONS
Sixty-nine percent of households own a house (77% of rural households and 63% of urban households). While almost all (99%) households in Goa have a mobile phone, 97 per cent of households have a bank or post office account.
The report also stated that 87 per cent of households own either a motorcycle or a scooter.
Overall, 10 per cent of all households in Goa own agricultural land and only 6 per cent own farm animals.
LITERACY
Further, the report reveals that 92 percent of women age 15-49 and 94 per cent of men age 15-49 are literate while six percent of women and 3 per cent of men age 15-49 have never been to school.
However, only 48 percent of women age 15-49 in Goa have completed 12 or more years of schooling, compared with 54 percent of men.
Literate persons are those who have either completed at least standard 9 or passed a simple literacy test conducted as part of the survey.
EMPLOYMENT
The analysis further revealed that 67 per cent of women and 22 per cent of men aged 15-49 were not employed in the 12 months preceding the survey.
Seven per cent of women and 4 per cent of men were engaged in an agricultural occupation, while one-quarter of women and almost three-quarters (72%) of men were employed in a non-agricultural occupation.
Women's activist Dr Sabina Martins has raise concern over the statistical finding.
“The statistics published by National Family Health Survey is disheartening," Dr Martins said.
In the past while I was a member of Goa State Commission for Women, we did a sample survey to study the mindset of doctors,” said Martins, adding that a survey done during her stint with the women's commission had revealed a disturbing trend that couples who's first child is a boy will not go for a second child but it was not the case if the first is a girl.
Dr Martins underscored the need to address this mindset of people against such discriminatory practices prevailing in society.
