Page 1 of 15
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 355
Health Status of Women in India
Miss Seema, Dr. Laxmi Narayan,
1Research Scholar, Sunrise University, Alwar, Rajasthan
2Assistant Professor, Govt. P.G. College, Mahendergarh
Abstract:
Present paper analysis the health status
of women using secondary data from National
Family Health Surveys and Family Welfare
Statistics. Study found significant gender
differences in various indicators of health.
International comparison of the data reveals
precarious situation for Indian women vis-à-vis
their counterparts in developed as well as
developing countries. Besides social and cultural
factors, lack of public spending on health in
general and maternal and child healthcare in
particular is an important impediment in
progress towards improving health status of
women. The country need to devote much more
resources for devising & financing policies &
programmes keeping vulnerable and risk prone
sections of the society in mind. The budgetary
allocation for the schemes aimed at reducing
gender inequalities needs to be increased
manifold for providing big push, overcoming
obstructions & indivisibilities and fully utilizing
social benefits of improved health, reduced
gender inequalities and increased economic
participation of women.
Keywords: Gender Inequalities, Women Health,
Maternal Health, Reproductive Health.
Women's health in India can be
examined in terms of multiple indicators, which
vary by geography, socioeconomic
standing and culture. The health of women
depends on their emotional, social and physical
well-being which are determined by different
social, political and economic contexts of their
lives. India being large country, has a
diverse population- socially, culturally and
economically; yet, the common major
problem that women here face in availing
healthcare, is inequality, between men and
women; among women of different
geographical regions, social classes and
indigenous and ethnic groups across the
country. Health is generally regarded as a vital
component of growth and development of a
nation. However, in India the field of health and
health care in general and women health in
particular is the most neglected aspects of
development. Women are viewed mainly as the
means of production often at the cost of own
personal, individual identity (Rustogi 2004).
Health is socially determined to a considerable
extent. Access to healthcare, is almost fully so.
This being so, the ‘lived experiences’ of women
in India are replete with potential risk factors
that have implications for their lives and well- being. The multiple roles of household work,
child rearing and paid work that women carry
out has implications for their physical and
mental health. Gender inequality can also
increase the chance of physical complications
Page 2 of 15
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 356
during pregnancy and childbirth as well as
maternal mortality (UNDP, 2005). The data on
the lifetime risk of a woman dying from
complications related to pregnancy or childbirth
show an echo of the health inequality between
women in the less developed and more
developed regions. Unwanted pregnancies due
to the lack of contraception or contraceptive
failure may, in some cases, result in induced
abortions.
Even today the issue of family welfare
and reproductive health is much more important
to policy makers than the issue of providing
basic level of nutrition, better health, better
control over women’s body etc. In this context
to assess the women health in the country the
following indicators are chosen.
Reproductive and Child Health Status -
IMR & MMR
Anaemia among Women
Reproductive & Child Health Status - IMR
and MMR
Female infants continue to experience a
higher mortality than male infants in 2013. It is
higher in respect of Female infants (42) as
compared to Male infants (39). This variation is
prevalent among all the major States. IMR for
females refers to the number of female death in
the first year of life per 1000 live birth. It
reflects the probability of female child dying
before attaining age 1 year due to poor health of
either the child or mother. The data for IMR
overall witnessed a remarkable decline over the
years from 114 in 1980 to 40 in 2013 in India.
The same trend has been observed for the IMR
for females – it decreased from 113 in 1980 to
42 in 2013.
Changes in levels and differentials in
neonatal, post-neonatal, infant, child and under- five mortality can also be seen from three rounds
of NFHS. The data presented in Table-2
revealed that neonatal mortality rates for males
are higher than female during ten years
preceding NFHS-1 & 2 and five years preceding
NFHS-3 which can be attributed to biological
advantage of girls1
. However, during this period
the neonatal mortality between male and female
showed narrowing gap as per the consecutive
surveys the gap was 8.9, 6.1 and 4.1.
The parental care of the child affects the
mortality beyond the neonatal period. In most
countries where infant and child mortality is
driven by biology alone, female mortality in the
first year of life beyond the first month
continues to be lower than male mortality. But
excess female mortality becomes evident in
India in the period beyond one month of life. the
post neonatal mortality rate (the number of
deaths to children age 1–11 months per 1,000
live births) for females is 20.9, compared with
only 15.4 for boys. The data shows the reverse
trend of increasing mortality rate among female
children after neonatal period as we can observe
from the table that the difference between male
and female is more in the age group 1-4 years. In
India as a whole, the child mortality rate for
girls, at 20.9 per 1,000, is 47.2 percent higher
than for boys, at 14.2 per 1,000. A variety of
cultural and traditional factors may be
1 On biological grounds, mortality in infancy should
be higher for male infants than female infants
particularly in the first month of life.
Page 3 of 15
Journal for Studies in Management and Planning
Available at http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/
e-ISSN: 2395-0463
Volume 01 Issue 11
December 2015
Available online: http://edupediapublications.org/journals/index.php/JSMaP/ P a g e | 357
responsible for the higher mortality among girls
beyond neonatal period. Traditionally preference
is given to sons over daughter in terms of food,
prevention of diseases and treatment of illness
resulting in higher post neonatal and child
mortality among girls. The infant mortality rate
during 1992-98 (NFHS-1 & 2) among boys was
higher in comparison to girls due to higher
neonatal mortality, but during 2001-05 (NFHS- 3) it became almost equal.
Table-1: Infant Mortality Rate
Female Male Total Male- Female Gap
1980 115 113 114 -2
1985 98 96 97 -2
1990 81 78 80 -3
1995 76 73 74 -3
2000 69 67 68 -2
2005 61 56 58 -5
2010 49 46 47 -3
2011 46 43 44 -3
2012 44 41 42 -3
2013 42 39 40 -3
Source: Office of RGI, New Delhi, SRS
Statistical Reports (different years)
Table 2: Neonatal, Post neonatal, Infant, Child
and Under-Five Mortality Rates by
Child's Sex, NFHS
Mortality
rates
NFHS
rounds
Child's Sex
Male Female
Male- Female
Gap
Neonatal
Mortality2
(NN)
NFHS-1
(1992-1993) 57 48.1 8.9
NFHS-2
(1998-1999) 50.7 44.6 6.1
NFHS-3
(2005-2006) 40.9 36.8 4.1
Post NFHS-1
(1992-1993) 31.7 35.8 -4.1
2
Number of deaths of infants under 29 days of age
in a given year per 1000 live births in that year.
neonatal
mortality3
(PNN)
NFHS-2
(1998-1999) 24.2 26.6 -2.4
NFHS-3
(2005-2006) 15.4 20.9 -5.5
Infant
Mortality
NFHS-1
(1992-1993) 88.6 83.9 -4.7
NFHS-2
(1998-1999) 74.8 71.1 -3.7
NFHS-3
(2005-2006) 56.3 57.7 1.4
Child
Mortality4
NFHS-1
(1992-1993) 29.4 42 -12.6
NFHS-2
(1998-1999) 24.9 36.7 -11.8
NFHS-3
(2005-2006) 14.2 22.9 -8.7
Under-5
Mortality5
NFHS-1
(1992-1993) 115.4 122.4 -7
NFHS-2
(1998-1999) 97.9 105.2 -7.3
NFHS-3
(2005-2006) 69.7 79.2 -9.5
Source: NFHS Surveys
The largest decline in IMR for females
for the period 2001 to 2011 has been observed in
the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab,
Karnataka, Nagaland and Odisha. In 2001 the
highest female IMR among larger states was
observed in Odisha and the lowest in Kerala. It
is also the fact that IMR for female was greater
than IMR for male for most of the states. Large
gender gap was observed in IMR.
3
Number of infants deaths of 29 days to under one
year of age in a given year per 1000 live births in
that year.
4 Number of deaths of children between 01– 04 years
a given year per 1000 live births in that year.
5 The under-five mortality is the probability that a
child born in a specific year or time period will die
before reaching the age of five, subject to current
age specific mortality rates. It is expressed as a rate
per 1,000 live births.
