Malnutrition of rural children and the sex bias.

Abstract

This is a report of empirical field work done at the Agro-Economic Research Centre at Santiniketan Idina. The studies of nutritional conditions of children below 5 years of age in the 2 villages of Sahajapur and Kuchli provide firm evidence of 1) remarkably high incidence of undernourishment even of the severe and disastrous types; and 2) systematic sex bias reflected in higher deprivation of girls vis-a-vis boys. The sex bias is reflected both in the greater prevalence of undernourishment of various degrees among girls than among boys; and in the lower growth dynamics of girls vis-a-vis boys. Interestingly enough the village with the better overall nutritional record has much sharper sex discrimination. The economic benefits accruing to the children of Kuchli through land reform seem to have primarily benefited boys vis-a-vis girls. The performance of girls in terms of nutritional criteria are broadly similar in the 2 villages and it is the better position of boys in Kuchli that seems to make both the average nutritional record of Kuchli noticeably higher and also the extent of sex bias clearly greater. Possible influences operating on the 2 villages are discussed which may throw light on the various contrasts between them as well as some policy issues related to the respective roles of land reform and direct nutritional intervention. (authors modified)