Among the data currently employed to quantify the discrimination against women, the demographic statistics of a population, among which is the sex ratio (SR) are a good reflection of the status of women in a society. The sex ratio will be calculated as the number of women per 1000 men (female to male ratio). This choice makes the analysis of the observed deficit of women in India much easier than the usual SR (male to female ratio) calculation. The sex ratio is, in effect, a crucial variable in the determination of an eventual inequality between men and women according to the group under consideration (population according to age, urban population, literacy, etc.). It is, however, a complex product of different factors: sex ratio at birth, differential mortality according to sex, and migrations. The latter element, which is above all economic in nature, is responsible for a significant part of the observed ratio variations.

The sex ratio of the Indian population has been diminishing almost regularly since 1901, due to the decline of the sex ratio of the population from 0-6 years of age, particularly in certain regions of the country. And these results are the reflection of the role and status of females in India (social, economic and cultural discriminations). So this map is to be linked with factors of development in South India. The sex ratio is unbalanced because of different factors like neglect of girl child resulting in their higher mortality at younger ages, high maternal mortality, sex selective female abortions, female infanticide, change in sex ratio at birth, sex selective migration and sex differential in population enumeration. The most developed states: Kerala and Tamil Nadu, especially for social development, are distinguished by high sex ratios over large areas. But migrations play a big role also. Between two factors that are migration and social development, it's difficult to know which is the most important. Especially in the case of Kerala, where there are linked and the male migration massive, so that it seems that men are missing!

Generally sex ratio is comprised between 950 and 975 but we remark some low sex ratios pockets. As we can see on this map, the sex ratio is quite unbalanced in the center of South India, especially in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and at the hilly frontier of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Only Kerala is not concerned. So out of the four states, only one, Kerala shows a high homogeneous sex ratio. In opposition to Kerala, one shows very low sex ratios, namely Andhra Pradesh. Generally, the South of South India shows high sex ratios whereas the North is characterized by lower sex ratios. In India, the sex ratio was 927 women per 1000 men in 1991 and 933 in 2001, whereas in South India it was 985 in 1991 and 996 in 2001.

S.V.