Villages in West Bengal where women play a key role in panchayats have witnessed twice the investment in drinking water, increased visits by government health workers and a decrease in the gap between boys and girls attending school, says a report from UNICEF.
The report lauds India's efforts in investing in women's leadership, detailing the positive impact of the reservation of one-third of panchayat posts for women on the welfare of children, particularly their nutrition, health and education.
A study of 165 villages in West Bengal is part of the UNICEF's flagship report on the state of the world's children for 2007 released on Tuesday on the 60th anniversy of the world body.
The study showed that increased women's participation in village councils had a positive impact on village development.
The report said the number of women in the lower House of India's Parliament had risen to 8.3 percent in 2004 from 7.3 percent in 1996 but this was still below the figure for its neighbours like China (20.3 percent), Pakistan (21.3 percent) and Banglkadesh (14.8 percent).
"We have chosen to focus on women and children, highlighting gender equality as the theme of this year's state of world children report because it produces the double dividend of benefiting both women and children and is pivotal to the health and development of families, communities and nations," Kul C Gautum, deputy executive director of UNICEF, said at the release of the report.
"Study after study has taught us that there is no tool for development more effective than gender equality, and no other policy is likely to raise economic productivity, lower infant and maternal mortality, improve nutrition and promote health, including helping to prevent the spread of HIV-AIDS," he said.
Gautam said the challenge for the future is to increase the enrolment of girls in both primary and secondary schools and stem their drop-out rates. The report outlines seven milestones to achieve parity -- education, financing, legislation, legislative quotas, women empowering women, engaging men and boys and improved research and data.
Sharmila Tagore, actor and UNICEF's goodwill ambasador, said, "The formula is to invest in women and the promise is a double dividend for children and for adults."
She pointed out the report said the infant mortality rate in Kerala was lower that of Washington DC because women in the southern state have enough autonomy to 'take their sick child and catch the right bus to reach the right doctor at the right time'.
