New Delhi: Inching towards sex ratio figures of a roughly equal number of women and men being born in the district, Gurugram in 2020 recorded 918 women for every 1,000 men — a marginal improvement from 2019 figures of 910:1,000.
Despite being the richest district in the state, Gurugram has had a dismal record when it came to sex ratio. Crimes against women have been high in the district female foeticide was rampant until recently, despite laws prohibiting sex determination before birth. In 2015, Gurugram reported a sex ratio of 875 women for every 1,000 men.
For a long time, the number of females as compared to 1,000 males in Gurugram used to be less than 900 and it was in the year 2017 when Gurugram barely touched 900 figure mark and recorded a ratio of 903 females to 1,000 males. Next year in 2018 however this ratio dipped slightly to 901:1,000.
Showing a gradual improvement over the last four years, Gurugram recorded its best showing with 910 females to 1000 males in 2019, before beating it in 2020.
Eleven years ago, Gurugram had a sex ratio figure of less than 850 wmen for every 1,000 men. In 2010, Gurugram had a sex ratio figures of 841 females to 1,000 males which slightly improved to 849:1,000 in 2011, 841 to 1,000 (2012), 852:1,000 (2013), 843:1,000 (2014).
In 2015, the Haryana Government launched an ambitious scheme Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (save the daughter, educate the daughter). Under this scheme, parents were
discouraged from female foeticide and incentivised for educating a girl child.
Laws were further strengthened to penalise those violating Pre-Conception Pre Natal-Determination Techniques (PNCPDT). Even in 2020 where Gurugram was grappling with the crisis of COVID-19, there were 11 raids conducted on clinics that were violating norms of PNCPDT. In the process, 20 people were arrested.
The involvement of public agencies to improve the situation and increase citizen awareness has led to the improvement of the situation in Gurugram from 2015 onwards. In 2015 sex ratio figures were 875:1000, 883: 1000 (2016), 903 :1000 (2017), 901:1000 (2018), 910:1000 (2019) and 918 :1000 (2020).