It has been an uphill task to boost the child sex ratio in Beed but the efforts have certainly paid off as the district has beaten the national average, says Sushil Deshmukh
Beed, a district in maharashtra, has been notorious for its discrimination against the girl child. The district occupies an area of 10,693 km square and has a population of 2,585,962 of which 17.91 per cent were urban (as of 2011). According to reliable sources the urban population has gone up by 2 per cent since the 2011 census. From 2001 to 2011, child sex ratio (calculated as the number of girl per 1000 boys in the 0-6 year age group) here, dropped from 894 to 807. For every 1,000 male children in the district, there were 807 female children. Interestingly, as per the 2011 census, the average child sex ratio in India is 918 girls per 1,000 boys. Rampant sex determination, female feticide as well as a set of rather disturbing ‘traditions’, including naming girls, Nakushi (unwanted in Marathi) or Kachrabai, which means a kin to garbage or Dagadbai, which means a kin to stone, largely contribute to the strong daughter aversion in these parts.
A chiefly agrarian and largely backward district in the Marathwada region, Beed witnesses large-scale migration from October to March every year as a sizeable population moves to western Maharashtra and neighbouring Karnataka for the sugarcane-cutting season. Families that make ends meet solely by working as agricultural labour and have an obvious preference for sons.
Yet, ever since alarming reports of rapidly declining child sex ratio emerged in 2011, the state health department has gone into mission mode to “save girls”. There are several facets to the sustained efforts that have been undertaken over the last seven-odd years. Of course, creating quality engagement with the community and especially the women and girls, is the core driving factor in all these measures.
The state Women and Child Development Department has developed and is implementing a people-centric awareness programme with the input and cooperation of local civil society organisations (CSOs). The Khatod Foundation is one such group that has been supporting the work of government health workers, health officers and doctors on the ground. The Poshan Pakhwada, observed from 8 to 22 March, 2019, to mark the first anniversary of the Poshan Abhiyan, presented an ideal opportunity for the health functionaries. The Anganwadi workers and the foundation work together and train the spotlight on the twin curse of malnutrition and misogyny that has eclipsed the future of girls in the district.
It was a fortnight of events that focused on raising awareness and disseminating simple bits of valuable information on quality nutrition, hygiene, antenatal care, safe delivery, post-natal care, immunisation and other aspects of mother and child care. In keeping with the overarching narrative of saving the girl child, in addition to speaking about nutrition and well-being, health workers and activists, also shared messages on equal treatment of girls and boys.
One notable initiative, which has caught the fancy of the community, was the grand baby naming ceremony that was held exclusively for girls during the Kirtan Mahotsav in January 2019. Celebrating the naming of girls is truly an innovative and significant strategy, as it squarely takes on the masculine narrative, which incidentally also favors boys and men when it comes to safeguarding health apart from extending them many other privileges. Moreover, traditionally, the naming ceremony for boys is conducted with a lot of fanfare while it’s a low-key affair for girls.
This year, as many as 501 baby girls were given a joyous welcome at the naming ceremony, organised at the district headquarters, in the presence of thousands of community members. The festivities were completely traditional but instead of the usual quiet family affair, it was a magnificent public event. The look of sheer delight on the faces of the mothers was well worth the pains for the health officials and CSO campaigners involved in organising the event.
It has been an uphill task to boost the child sex ratio in the district but the efforts have paid off and the results are improving. As per the latest data shared by the state health department, the number of girls per 1,000 boys has been steadily improving. So much that now Beed has even exceeded the national average, from a dismal 797 in 2011-12 to a strong 938 this year. Clearly, the combined message of securing the nutrition, health of mother and child, and rooting for equality has made an impact.
—Charkha Features
