Sex Differentials in Mortality Early in the Twentieth Century: Sri Lanka and India Compared

Abstract

Sex differentials in mortality between 1921 and 1981 in Sri Lanka are examined and contrasted with India; the goal is to assess whether the patterns in Sri Lanka follow the patterns in the north and south of India. In northern India there was greater sex differentials than in the south which was attributed to lower labor force participation the presence of a dowry system exogamous marriage and lower female status. The findings show that Sri Lanka closely approximates the excess female mortality of northern India even though the social situation of women was more like conditions in southern India. Sri Lankan women had a high degree of autonomy endogamous marriages and agricultural practices which favored womens participation. Female mortality declined at all age groups between 1921-81. In 1921 female differentials in mortality exceeded males in most age groups with the exception of infant mortality and ages 45-54 years. Between 1921 and 1953 womens mortality declined for aged 5-9 and all ages between 15-54 years. In each decade after 1953 there was a shift from less female disadvantage to more male disadvantage. By contrast in India between 1872 and 1921 the census showed that female life expectancy exceeded males; between 1921 and 1931 male life expectancy exceeded females. Based on sex ratio data in the early 1960s for India by ethnic group there was a male surplus in the north and a slight female surplus in the south. In Sri Lanka for a comparable period were more disadvantaged than in India and more like north India. The explanation does not related to the similarity in language (Sinhalese) between the north and Sri Lanka because common social structural and ideological features were similar to the south. Levels of mortality also did not provide an explanation. The explanation is likely to have been that some causes of death disadvantaged one sex over the other. Famine was associated with greater male mortality and famine occurred in north India and not in Sri Lanka. Women in Sri Lanka were most affected by hookworm infestations and corresponding anemia malaria and maternal mortality which were not prevalent in south India. The mortality differentials between north India and Sri Lanka may be explained by the culture against females in north India.