Empowerment of Women in Assam: Key Findings from the Latest Health Survey
Significant Progress in Women's Empowerment in Assam
Women cheer during a political rally in Khanapara. (Photo - @himantabiswa / X)
Guwahati, June 2: Recent data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) reveals that women in Assam are increasingly delaying marriage, pursuing education for longer periods, and gaining better access to digital and financial resources.
The survey indicates a decline in the percentage of women aged 20-24 who were married before turning 18, dropping from 31.8% in NFHS-5 (2019-21) to 25.3% in the latest findings.
Conducted by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the NFHS-6 results were published on May 29.
This positive trend is mirrored by a significant decrease in teenage pregnancies, with the proportion of women aged 15-19 who were either mothers or pregnant falling from 11.7% to 7.3%.
Educational achievements among women have also improved, with the percentage of women aged 15-49 who have completed 10 or more years of schooling rising from 29.6% in NFHS-5 to 37.1% in NFHS-6, indicating a steady enhancement in educational levels.
The survey highlights a notable increase in digital access for women, with 53.5% reporting internet usage, a significant rise from 28.2% in the previous survey. Additionally, the ownership and use of mobile phones among women increased from 57.2% to 66.8%.
Financial inclusion has seen remarkable progress, with the percentage of women possessing and actively using a bank or savings account climbing from 78.5% to 91.7%, reflecting improved access to formal financial services.
Maternal health indicators have also shown advancement. Almost all surveyed women reported receiving antenatal care during their pregnancies, and the proportion of mothers taking iron-folic acid tablets for at least 180 days during pregnancy surged from 18.5% to 44%. Institutional deliveries rose from 84.1% to 87.6%.
Awareness regarding women's health and hygiene practices has improved, with the use of hygienic menstrual protection methods among young women aged 15-24 increasing from 67% to 75.1%.
Moreover, the survey revealed a significant reduction in violence against women, with the percentage of ever-married women aged 18-49 reporting spousal violence dropping to 16.2%, nearly half of the 32.2% recorded in NFHS-5.
Despite these advancements, challenges persist. The survey found that 19.6% of women were either hypertensive or on medication for blood pressure control, while 12.5% had high or very high blood sugar levels or were receiving treatment for diabetes, highlighting the rising burden of non-communicable diseases among women.
Overall, the latest findings illustrate a gradual yet significant transformation for women in Assam, characterized by improvements in education, financial autonomy, reproductive health, and personal safety.