Skewed sex ratio worsens marriage woes for Marathwada farmers

Fewer women in Marathwada want to marry farmers in the region, looking for a more “comfortable life”, which has easy access to water and better infrastructure. But a severely skewed sex ratio in these villages is not making things easier for wannabe grooms.

Climate impact, increased cost of production and reduced agricultural income in Marathwada and Ahmednagar villages have drastically impacted the economic status of farmers. This has resulted in their social standing taking a hit as well, with hundreds of bachelors reporting no brides for them.

Read more: Water, Marathwada women’s woe: No brides for farmers as families look for city matches

Young women and their families are looking for prospects in urban areas or grooms with stable jobs, reported Down To Earth earlier. This ground report from Beed, Gevrai, Ambejogai and surrounding areas revealed a shortage of young women to marry.

“There are about 100 bachelors in the village who are at least 28 years old and crossed marriageable age according to the rural standards,” said Kiran Patange, a farmer from Ambesawali village of Ambejogai taluka. “There are hardly any matches for them.”

For the 100-odd bachelors, there are hardly 24 women in the village of marriageable age. “There are not enough young women to marry,” Patange said.

The situation is not restricted to one village.

In Rajewadi village, about 12 kilometres from Ambajogai, there no women of marriageable age. There are about 60 men who are waiting for a prospective bride, but there are none in the village,” Deepak Khade, a farmer.

Read more: Water, Marathwada women’s woe: Inclement weather affecting farmers’ mental health, social standing

The current situation is bringing rapid change in social dynamics of women in villages, said Arundhati Patil, co-ordinator at Marathwada Navnirmal Lokayat, an Ambajogai based organisation working towards the cause of farmers.

“The vast disparity in these villages is mainly because of the skewed sex ratio of the district found in the 2011 census,” she said.

Maharashtra’s Beed district recorded the lowest child sex ratio of 807 in the 2011 census, according to National Health Mission — the lowest in the state. The child sex ratio is the number of females per thousand males under the age group of 0-6 years.

Patil said the impact of the disturbed child ratio is now reflected in villages. “The situation has started to break the traditional barriers in society. People have started considering child marriages and looking for prospective brides at ages 13-14 years of age,” she added.

Shortage of women also means the demand for dowry has been eliminated for these matches.

Read more: Water, Marathwada women’s woe: Weather vagaries force farmers to sell lands

“The skewed sex ratio is likely to sharpen the crisis where it becomes difficult for men to find a place in the marriage market,” said Mary John, former professor at Centre for Women’s Development Studies.

The generation that has grown in the past 20 years is likely facing issues because of sex selection. “The effective shortage only worsens with the ongoing non-desirability of these men,” she added.

Contrasting features can also be observed as it is also likely that families prefer to marry off their daughters at early ages, thereby encouraging child marriages, John said.

“The marriage strategy in society is complicated and it is difficult to understand what dynamics are preferred at a particular time and the situation,” she said.

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