Development in Bihar: Gender related policy recommendations

During the last decade, improvement in various socio-economic indicators demonstrate that Bihar is steadily moving upward in the development ladder. Presently, Bihar is one of the fastest growing states in India. Bihar’s recent growth rate is greater than the national average. Higher economic growth has been translated into higher expenditure in the social services, viz. health, education, housing, water & sanitation, social security, etc., which, in turn, led to substantial poverty reduction and improvements in various development indicators in Bihar.

During 2005-06 to 2015-16, in Bihar, there has been a 15.8 percentage point decline in spousal violence, which is a commendable achievement and underscores how the Bihar government is focusing on all-round development. During the last decade, Bihar had some remarkable achievement both in economic and social sectors.

To maintain this momentum, Oxfam India suggests ways to ensure all-round inclusive growth by incorporating gender related socio-economic policies at the core of government planning in Bihar.