Challenging Negative Social Norms

Context: India touches a demographic milestone this World Population Day (July 11), but roadblocks remain.

India’s demographic sweet spot

• Half of India’s population is under 29 years of age, which means a greater proportion of young people will drive India’s economic growth and social progress.
• This phase will continue for another two or three decades.

India’s substantial gains in Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) indicators 

     

• Decline in maternal mortality ratio (MMR): From 327 in 1999-2001 to 113 per 100,000 live births in 2016-18, as per Sample Registration Pandemic System (SRS).
• Progressive policies for maternal health and improved rates of institutional delivery. 
• Significant shifts in family planning: Data from National Health Family Survey 5 for the year 2019-20 (NFHS-5) show how contraceptive prevalence has improved in most States.
• Challenging existing social norms: Government schemes like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) has made efforts to challenge existing social norms. 

Social challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030

     

• Population will continue to grow despite decline in fertility: Total Fertility Rate (TFR), presently at 2.2 children, will soon reach replacement level (2.1), 
• But population will grow due to the effect of ‘population momentum’. TFR remains higher in rural areas and poorer states, where there is low income and inadequate education access.
• Weaknesses in healthcare systems: Pervasive negative social norms, health system barriers, and gender inequality hindered universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
• Adolescent pregnancy: Two million adolescent girls (15-19 years) each year had a pregnancy, and of these, nearly 63% were unwanted or unintended. This points to inadequate information and access.
• In girls aged 15-19 years, 22.2% had an unmet need for contraception, according to NFHS-4.
• Girls are still marrying too young: 26.8% of women aged 20-24 years are married before they turn 18, often having their first child within the first year of marriage.
• Gender-based violence and harmful practices: All of these practices are rooted in social norms, beliefs and practices that deny women their bodily autonomy.
• Worsening performance in World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Global Gender Gap Report 2021: India has slipped 28 places to rank 140th among 156 countries, becoming the third-worst performer in South Asia.

Way forward:

• Placing youth and women at the heart of India’s population stabilisation strategy: 
• Empowering women to make choices for better health outcomes, prevent unintended pregnancy and birth with the help of skilled attendants is much more important.
• India’s population stabilisation strategy must be adjusted, keeping in mind the rights of women.
• Leveraging the positive ripple effect of empowering women to make choices and exercise rights will put India on its path towards achieving SDG goals by 2030.
• Challenging outdated social norms: United Nations Population Fund calls for stakeholders to help build a new set of social norms to drive the mission and is keen to take India’s success models and strengthen the South­South Collaboration further.