The Hindu

• Juvenile sex ratio is 910 girls for 1,000 boys
• Government to set up child tracking system

Mangalore, Nov 28: There were several contradictions with regard to the position of women in Dakshina Kannada district. The practice of dowry for instance was rampant, in spite of high levels of education and awareness among women, A.K. Monappa, director of Women and Child Welfare Department said after inaugurating a seminar on "Girl Child and Education" here on Monday.

Although Dakshina Kannada district was the only region apart from Kerala that had a positive female sex ratio in the country, there had been a decline in the ratio in the last few years. This should be seen as a warning signal, he said.

Juvenile sex ratio was a cause for concern throughout the country. While the adult sex ratio was 964 women for a 1,000 males, the juvenile sex ratio was 910 girls for a 1,000 boys, he added. Referring to the cases of child trafficking , he said the Government planned to set up a child tracking system. Shantha Mohan, head of the gender studies department, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore, said although there has been progress in the levels of education got by women, the gap in the success of men and women had not reduced. The seminar began with college students taking an oath against dowry. Centre for Women's Studies of Mangalore University, Magu Madhura Kalike, District Institution of Education and Training, and Development Education Service jointly organised the seminar.