In Census 2011, special focus will be given to enumeration of women, their literacy and participation in works — either in domestic or vocational capacity.
On the basis of the Census 2001 data, the Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India office has identified 262 gender critical districts or cities with million-plus population in 26 states, where women work participation was less than 20 per cent or female literacy rate was less than 30 per cent or sex ratio was less than 900.
Maximum number of gender critical districts or cities have been identified in Uttar Pradesh (60), followed by Bihar (28), Haryana (18), Orissa (17), Punjab (16), Madhya Pradesh (16), Rajasthan (15), Assam (12), Delhi (9), Jammu & Kashmir (9), Kerala (9), Jharkhand (8) and Arunachal Pradesh (7) among others.
In Uttar Pradesh, about 50 districts and cities have been identified as gender critical because here sex ratio is less than 900. Moreover, while in 10 districts, the female literacy rate is less than 30 per cent, in 41 districts, women work participation is less than 20 per cent.
In several surveys and past census, it has been noticed that people — particularly in rural areas — ignore infants, children and elderly women, while giving details about family composition and work profile during enumeration. “To ensure an accurate enumeration of women in Census 2011, special attention is being given to gender sensitisation among the public and enumerators,” said Neena Sharma, Director of Census Operations in Uttar Pradesh.
According to officials, in some gender critical districts, women work participation is either very low or nil. But in jobs like “cow milching”, almost every woman in rural areas is engaged. But due to the ignorance of either the respondent or the enumerator, women engaged in such works are left out. In the ongoing Census, every woman engaged in such works will be counted.
“To achieve this objective, it is critical to enhance the skills of enumerators to accurately collect information, which sometimes the respondent is reluctant to share — especially concerning women members of the household. This usually includes information on infants, young and elderly, divorced and separated woman,” said an official.
This time, experts from UNICEF are training master trainer facilitators. Gender master trainer facilitators will be deployed in gender critical districts to train the master trainers about gender sensitisation and ways to quiz the respondents about women members in a family.
“The UNICEF has already provided the training module. In UP, training may begin by November-end,” said Sharma. Enumerators will trained to collect accurate information through cross-questioning respondents during the second phase of enumeration scheduled in February 2011.
