A family health survey done by the Union Government has stated, among other things, that the population of females now outnumbers that of males, in the ratio of 1020:1000. For the first time, women outnumbered men in this country – which had in the past earned notoriety for female infanticide. The likely reversal of the trend augurs well, to the extent that this might signify a change in the attitude of parents to have male children. Such mindsets have also to do with the system of marriages with dowry becoming expensive affairs, though the worry was also of the girl child eventually taking away her share of the family wealth to another family. Wealth is not all that matters in life though it is important for one to have enough to make ends meet. Many affluent families have in recent times been opting to give away most of what they earned to charity – as Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, Narayana Murthy and Asim Premji have done.
Having a fair balance in male-female ratio is important; and it would not matter much if there’s a minor tilt either way. That’s a likelihood. More important is to ensure that, as we grow up, both men and women have been provided equal opportunities in life. Women here had mostly confined their activities to home-making or working as farm labourers. These are important too, but they can do better. A lesser number of women now laze away time at home; they are earning and becoming equal partners in the maintenance of their homes. They are entering fields that were exclusive preserves of males as in senior positions in the military, flying aircraft, driving buses and autos etc. Yet, their potential is not explored to appreciable levels.
The economic growth of Bangladesh is a case in point. It is performing better than India. A major reason is the concerted efforts being made there to provide job opportunities to women – mainly in the garments sector in a land known for its cotton cultivation. Put together, garment exports became a thriving business there, fetching huge amounts in foreign exchange too. Powering this great change is Sheikh Hasina, the Prime Minister for repeated terms. In India, free or subsidized ration for more than half the population is the norm if only to make vote banks out of people. This encourages laziness and hurts the nation’s productivity. For growth, a nation must make use of its people, both female and male- to the full.
