Dehradun: The latest National Family Health Survey-6 (NFHS-6) for Uttarakhand reveals improvements in several indicators related to women's empowerment, with the overall rate of violence against women declining from 15.3% in NFHS-5 (2019-21) to 13.7% in NFHS-6 (2023-24), a drop of 1.6 percentage points. However, two other indicators under the survey's gender-based violence category registered increases, pointing to persistent concerns despite the overall decline.
Rise in Physical Violence During Pregnancy
According to the survey, the proportion of ever-married women aged 18-49 who experienced physical violence during any pregnancy rose from 2.1% in NFHS-5 to 3.5% in NFHS-6, an increase of 1.4 percentage points. Uttarakhand recorded the highest percentage in this category among Himalayan states with comparable geography and population.
Increase in Sexual Violence Before Age 18
The survey also found an increase in the proportion of young women aged 18-29 who experienced sexual violence before the age of 18. The figure rose from 0.3% in NFHS-5 to 1.1% in NFHS-6, an increase of 0.8 percentage points. Among Himalayan states, Uttarakhand's figure was second only to Arunachal Pradesh, which reported 1.1% despite a decline from 3.0% in NFHS-5.
Spousal Violence and Regional Comparisons
Under the indicator measuring ever-married women aged 18-49 who have experienced spousal violence (physical and/or sexual violence), at least four Himalayan states, including Uttarakhand, continued to record double-digit prevalence rates. Among the Himalayan states, Mizoram recorded an increase in overall violence against women, rising from 10.3% in NFHS-5 to 11.4% in NFHS-6. Tripura registered a decline from 20.7% to 19.1%, while Assam recorded one of the sharpest reductions, falling from 32.2% to 16.2%. Arunachal Pradesh also reported a decline, from 24.9% to 17.8%.
Several Himalayan states reported single-digit prevalence of violence against women in NFHS-6. Nagaland recorded a decline from 6.5% to 4.0%, while Ladakh saw a substantial drop from 17.7% to 1.9%. Sikkim's figure fell from 12.4% to 4.6%, Jammu and Kashmir reported a decline from 9.7% to 3.4%, and Himachal Pradesh recorded a reduction from 8.6% to 4.3%.
About the Author: Shivani Azad is a TOI journalist who covers Environment, Wildlife, Medical and Social subjects.
