Richer India empowers women but ranks of baby girls barely budge

Toronto

A RICHER India is bringing more cell phones, bank accounts and schooling to women but other signs of female advancement in the US$2 trillion economy remain patchy, including the most basic: births.

First, the good news. Education levels among women have risen in the past 10 years, according to the government's National Family Health Survey 4, released this year. That's helped push the percentage of women who are literate to 68 per cent from 55 per cent, though that remains below the male rate of 86 per cent.