BHUBANESWAR: A majority of Odisha’s women are not part of the state’s workforce or pursuing education, says the latest report of the National Sample Survey Office (NSSO).The 78th ‘Multiple Indicator Survey in India’ by NSSO states that 57.4 per cent of the state’s women in the age group of 15 to 29 years is not in education, employment or training (NEET).
The gender gap is significant when compared to the NEET population of men which stands at just 20.5 per cent. There isn’t much urban, rural divide when it comes to the NEET population. Interestingly, the population of women not in education, employment or training in urban areas of the state is more at 60 per cent whereas it is slightly low at 57 per cent in rural areas.
In the list of top-five states that have the highest NEET population of women in the age group, Punjab leads with 59.6 per cent followed by Uttar Pradesh at 59.5 per cent, Assam 59.2 per cent, West Bengal 58.6 per cent and Odisha at 57.4 per cent. North-eastern states like Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram have the lowest such population at 7 per cent.
The survey, which was initially to be conducted from January to December, 2020, was continued till August 15, 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Its primary objective was to collect data for the generation of national indicators of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
NSSO counted people in both formal and non-formal education and training sectors during the survey and found that only 24.9 per cent women (33.4 per cent in urban and 23.5 per cent in rural) of Odisha in 15 to 29 age group were pursuing formal and non-formal education or undergoing training in various sectors.
Overall, 65.3 per cent of NEET men in India are available for or are actively seeking employment but this is the case for only a mere 5.9 per cent of NEET women, indicating lower inclination of women towards labour force participation.
Academician and state Higher Education Council chairman Ashok Das said the NSSO report comes as a surprise because participation of women in higher education in Odisha is around 55 to 65 per cent. “And this percentage is only for general higher education. I am not counting the population of girls in engineering and other technical courses. One needs to study various other reports including the Ministry of Education’s enrolment studies to find out where the leakage is happening,” he said.
DATA ON WOMEN (15-29 age group)
Not in Edu or Employment- 57.4 pc
In Formal & Non-formal Edu - 24.9 pc
Migration for Education - 1.3 pc
Migration for Employment- 0.2 pc