The first-ever gender vulnerability index (GVI) has revealed that Goa and Kerala are the safes states for women. While Goa tops the list as the safest state, Kerala is second, followed by Mizoram, Sikkim and Manipur.
According to planindia.org's Plan for Every Child': Gender Vulnerability Index report, it was found that the most unsafe states for women in the country are Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. The only north Indian state that has fared reasonably well is Himachal Pradesh which is at the sixth position.
The research team of the NGO has taken into consideration four aspects—protection of women, health, education and poverty—while preparing the state-wise report. According to media reports, the exercise was aimed at helping policy makers to map out priorities to make the country safer for women.
Plan India, a member of Plan International Federation, is a nationally registered independent child development organisation committed to creating a lasting impact in the lives of vulnerable and excluded children, their families and communities.
According to the report, 39.1 per cent of girls in Bihar, which is at the bottom of the list, get married before the legal age and 43.2 per cent of women experience spousal violence in the state. About 63 per cent women in the state are illiterate. The NGO found that 74.8 per cent of households have no access to toilet facilities in the state.
The report also revealed that seven out of 10 women in the country are illiterate.
In Goa, which emerged as the safest state for women, only 9.8 per cent of girls are married off before the legal age and only 12.9 per cent women are victims of spousal abuse. The state fares well in the education of girls as over 58 per cent of women in the state have 10 or more years of schooling. Over 80 per cent of women in the state use mobile phones which they own and 33.9 per cent of women own land or property.
