Children in West Bengal
The pace of development of the soon to be ‘100 million’ state may not be adequate to cope with this population dividend in the coming years.
The challenge
West Bengal is India’s fourth most populous state with a population of 91.3 million, a fifth of whom are poor. It occupies only 2.7 per cent of India's total land area, and this population density often poses numerous challenges in terms of access to and quality of services.
By 2021, West Bengal’s population is expected to increase by an additional 10 million, making it a ‘100 million’ state. However, the State’s pace of development may not be adequate to cope with this population dividend in the coming years.
West Bengal is among the eight poorest states, reflecting high levels of deprivation across social indicators such as health, education and standard of living. However, historically, the state has had a strong Panchayati Raj system, which provides an opportunity to influence the realization of children’s rights at the grass roots level.
Although poverty reduction in West Bengal has been faster after 2005, pockets of high poverty persist within the State. Despite redistributive land reform measures, weak socio-economic and industrial policies impede development, particularly for children.
According to the Sample Registration System (SRS) 2015, neonatal mortality is 18 per 1,000 live births. Stunting among children under age five is 32.5 per cent, and wasting is 20.3 per cent (National Family Health Survey, NFHS 4). Only 47.5 per cent of children are breastfed within the first hour of birth. The State has a high prevalence of childhood anaemia at 54.2 per cent.
The average gross state domestic product growth rate from 2005-06 to 2015-16 has been 10.42 per cent. Despite a consistently increasing investment in the social sector, West Bengal continues to show wide variations in human development indicators along the rural-urban divide and by social groups.
West Bengal’s performance in closing gender gaps is mixed. Schooling and maternal health have improved, yet the child sex ratio is declining, and secondary school completion rates are lower than in many other states.
Scheduled Tribes record higher levels of poverty than others, and both Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes lag behind other groups in schooling and access to basic services.
An estimated 94.6 per cent of households have access to an improved drinking water source; approximately 41.6 per cent of women aged 20-24 years are married before 18 years of age; and 18.3 per cent of women aged 15-19 years have started childbearing. Over 70 per cent of children aged 3-6 attend preschool (Source: Rapid Survey on Children 2013-14).
A large proportion of maternal deaths still occur among Muslim, tribal and Scheduled Caste populations. Over the past decade, West Bengal has seen an expansion of its health infrastructure; however, the distribution of health facilities is skewed, and hard-to-reach areas often lack functional primary health centres.
Advancing Children’s Rights and Well-being
To address the pockets of disparities and ensure quality services for every child in West Bengal, UNICEF has been working closely with the government, civil society organizations, and academic institutions to promote the holistic development of women and children, especially from marginalized communities.
UNICEF is also working with partners to ensure greater visibility and public discourse on children’s issues and to advocate for more support, resources, and commitments, especially for children in need.
West Bengal has made good progress in reducing maternal, child and infant deaths as compared to the national average. However, geographical disparities between rural and urban areas, inter-district inequities, and gender inequities still exist.
Gender discrimination is not seen in immunization coverage among boys and girls, but is reflected in the care of newborn babies, with only 42 per cent of girls being admitted to special newborn care units.
UNICEF promotes skilled birth attendance, improving the quality of care, both in delivery rooms and in special newborn care units and scaling up kangaroo mother care.
UNICEF also supports the government in using data from the online monitoring system to identify gaps, improve the quality of community-level care and services, and strengthen communication to support communities in seeking institutional delivery and maternal and newborn care practices.
UNICEF has been working closely with the State Government to strengthen the ‘Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)’ and the National Health Mission (NHM) to promote breastfeeding practices and improve infant and young child feeding practices.
In addition to these, UNICEF has been working to improve maternal and adolescent micronutrient supplementation by helping to improve the coverage and quality of the Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (WIFS) programme.
Addressing gaps in access to and quality of sanitation services, especially in districts and pockets with poor coverage, has been a focus of our work. The emphasis is also on the construction and use of toilets in institutions (schools, health facilities, Anganwadis, etc.) as well as in households to reinforce behaviour change and good practices.
UNICEF also supports relevant departments in undertaking water safety planning and testing, and in monitoring water quality to ensure safe drinking water across West Bengal.
UNICEF is supporting the School Education Department and the West Bengal Board of Madrasa Education to develop special strategies to mainstream out-of-school children, reduce dropouts, and promote school/madrasa-based platforms such as Meena Manch to improve school attendance and ensure retention.
UNICEF also supports the building of capacities of teachers, educators, government institutions, and Anganwadi workers in child-centred, inclusive, and gender-responsive teaching and learning practices to cater to diverse learning needs.
West Bengal was one of the first states in India to initiate an Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme in 2013.