Story in numbers: Goa sees rise in women-owned bank accounts, shows data

Goa is bound for Assembly elections, due sometime in February, 2022, for the 40-member legislative Assembly. The state is known for assertive women who represent a vocal and decisive constituency. With a population of around 14 lakh, Goa is a comparatively smaller state. Of the 14 lakh, 49 per cent are women.

As in many other state, in Goa too, assertion by women is backed by their capacity to take financial decisions. Not only do a large number of women own mobile phones (91 per cent) and use them for financial transactions, a very high number have their own bank accounts and take financial decisions on their own.

Since 2014, Indians have reportedly opened 40 crore bank accounts under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana; more than 50 per cent of these account-holders are women. Goa illustrates this trend. Interestingly, the National Family Health Survey 4 (2015-16) and 5 (2019-20) show the rising trajectory of women with a bank or savings account in Goa: From 8.3 per cent to 88.3 per cent.

Little wonder then, that leader of the Trinamool Congress, Mamata Banerjee has zeroed in on women as the constituency to woo ahead of the Assembly elections.  She was in Goa in October end, hoping to replicate in Goa what she has managed in Bengal – the over­whelming support of women. “We will empower the women in the state, the way we did in Bengal with several social schemes for education, empowerment and other areas. We have been working towards women’s empowerment and 41 per cent women in Trinamool are elected in Parliament. We will develop a similar model in Goa,” she said during her visit. It is not hard to see why.