•    Brides who are tied in a knot in cross-region marriages in Haryana and Rajasthan are subject to heightened surveillance, which varies from total confinement to restriction of their movement within the village. The degree to which this is enforced depends on the a) mode through which the bride has been sourced, i.e., whether she is trafficked, coerced or married with her parent’s approval; b) duration of the marriage; c) amount invested by the family in the marriage; and d) whether she has children or not from this marriage *$

•    Maternal mortality ratio (i.e. the number of deaths to women per 100,000 live births which result from conditions related to pregnancy, delivery, the postpartum period, and related complications) in India stood at 200 in 2010 as compared to 37 in China ∂

•    57 percent of adolescent Indian boys (15-19 years) justified wife-beating by husband as compared to 53 percent female adolescents during 2002-2010α

•    A survey of 405 Indian women who were either separated or divorced or deserted which was done by a team of researchers, women’s rights activists and lawyers, for the Economic Research Foundation of India between October 2008 and September 2009 shows that despite maintenance provisions most women are financially dependent on their natal families and 63% live with natal families, usually parents. The miserable financial status of separated and divorced women is evident from the fact that even after separation 41.5% had no income and 27.4% earned less than Rs. 2000 per month *

•    Sex-ratio in India (number of women per 1000 men) was 933 in 2001 and is projected to be 932 in 2010 **

•    Among the crimes committed against women in 2008, torture shares the highest percentage (42%), followed by molestation (21%). 11.0% cases are that of rape, 11.7% of kidnapping and abduction, and 1.0% of Immoral Trafficking. It is also significant to note that 6.0% cases are of sexual harassment and 4.1% of Dowry deaths **

•    A fifth of married women in India are not involved in spending decisions, even about their own incomes. Reforms to inheritance laws in India resulted in delays in marriage for girls, more education (increasing the number of years of schooling by an average of 11–25 percent), and lower dowry payments @

•    In 11 of 13 countries with data—including India, Romania, Sierra Leone, Sweden, and the United States—women make up less than 20 percent of the police force @

•    Under-five mortality rate for girls in India in 2008 was 73 per 1,000 live births, compared to 65 for boys. In China, the rate for girls was 24, compared to 18 for boys #

*$ Tied in a Knot: Cross-region Marriages in Haryana and Raja
sthan-Implications for Gender Rights and Gender Relations written by Reena Kukreja and Paritosh Kumar (2013) and produced by The Royal Norwegian Embassy

α Progress for Children: A Report Card on Adolescents (UNICEF), Number 10, April, 2012, http://www.unicef.org/media/files/PFC2012_A_report_card_on
_adolescents.pdf