Goa, Kerala top Gender Vulnerability; Bihar, UP at bottom

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are at the bottom in a new Gender Vulnerability Index (GVI) prepared by Plan India, while Goa, Kerala and Mizoram occupy the top three positions.

Delhi was placed 24th in the survey by the independent child development organisation.

According to the index -- prepared on the basis of four important dimensions -- Health, Education, Protection and Poverty -- Bihar is the worst in terms of health for women while the top three places were occupied by Kerala, followed by Tamil Nadu and Sikkim.

In education dimension, the national capital is the worst performing state in terms of education for women while the top three positions were occupied by Himachal Pradesh, followed by Sikkim and Punjab.

The GVI has analysed the situation of girls and women in the country on the four dimensions and developed a multidimensional composite index with over 170 indicators.

This index will be useful in understanding the situation in states, as it ranks each state in every dimension of gender vulnerability.

As far as the poverty dimension for females is concerned, Manipur and Mizoram were placed in the top two positions, followed by Tamil Nadu while Bihar again was placed at the last spot.

In terms of protection, Goa was the best state followed by Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir. Uttar Pradesh was positioned last in terms fo women safety.

Many government officials, including Aastha Saxena Khatwani, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development and Anna Roy, Advisor, NITI Aayog, were present on the occasion.

--IANS

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