Kolkata, Sep 25 (IANS): At only 24 percent, West Bengal ranks the second lowest in the country when it comes to autonomy of married women, an expert said Tuesday.

"Analysing the data by the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), only 24 percent of married women in West Bengal can be said to possess autonomy, that is to say they have the power to take decisions concerning themselves, making the state to rank second last," said Devendra Kothari of the Rajiv Gandhi Population Mission of the Rajasthan government.

Kothari, professor of Population Programme Management, said the NFHS surveyed the married women population in the country, asking them a set of four questions and analysing their answers to find the status of their autonomy.

While Tamil Nadu topped with 49 percent, Rajasthan with 23 percent figured at the bottom of the list.

The set of four questions was:

- If the woman has the power to take decisions about her own health.
- If she has a say in major household purchases.
- If she has a say in daily household purchases.
- If she was free to visit her own family/relatives.

"While the overall figure for the country was 37 percent, the states of Tamil Nadu, Maharastra and Andhra Pradesh led the pack with 49 percent, 45 percent and 40 percent respectively," said Kothari, quoting the NFHS survey which was last done in 2005-06.