100 Million Missing Women

Nobel laureate economist Amartya Sen has calculated that based on birth rates of men and women, and the number of men and women alive today, that roughly 100 million women are missing....perhaps victims of early death.  In known demographics, more men than women are born every year, but women tend to be healthier than men.  The upshot is that women outnumber men in the populations of high-income countries by about 105 women for every 100 men.  But in less developed countries this is reversed.  Lower health standards for girls seems to be a major contributor to the rates of missing women.  By the same token, sex-selective abortion is having a major impact.  Higher rates of maternal mortality in 3rd world countries is also having an impact.  In China, the one-child policy has manifested itself in a skewed birth rate of 111:100.  This is one reason that this attempt to social engineer has about run its course in China. Girls are so undervalued in India that there are roughly 35 million fewer fewer females than males.  And if an Indian girl does reach adulthood, she faces a difficult life.  51% of Indian men said that wife-beating is justified.  Amazingly, 54% of Indian women agree.  More than 100,000 young Indian women die every year in "bride-burnings" or other instances of domestic abuse.

Literacy rates and education levels are also a factor.  In North America, Europe, and Latin America, literacy between men and women are about the same.  But in Arab states, South and West Asia, and across sub-Saharan Africa, literacy rates of women are about 20% below those of men.  The direct effect of less education is that women have a lower chance of getting jobs, and lower wages in the jobs they do get.

Globally women are dramatically underrepresented in legislative bodies or as political leaders.  In those countries that have a higher share of female representation in establishing government priorities, there is a greater share of funding going toward health and education.  In the long run this has a positive impact on economic growth.  It expands the life choices available to the world's population and gives people of both genders a better chance to choose the lives they want to lead.  In the decades ahead, the successful countries will be the ones that move more toward market based economies, and improve the status of women.