Inter-district Variations in Female Education and Early Marriage across Maharashtra
Rajendra S. Pawar *
Padmashri Vikhe Patil College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Pravaranagar, Maharashtra, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
This study analyzed inter-district variations in women’s educational attainment and early marriage in Maharashtra and assessed how levels of schooling influenced the prevalence of child marriage across the state. A cross-sectional, descriptive, and comparative approach was used based on secondary data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21). District-level data for all 36 districts were compiled for five indicators: women aged 6 years and above who ever attended school, female literacy, women with ten or more years of schooling, women aged 20–24 married before age 18, and the sex ratio. The results showed substantial district-level disparities. Urban and economically developed districts reported high levels of women’s education and low early marriage, while disadvantaged districts displayed the opposite pattern. Districts such as Parbhani, Osmanabad, Nandurbar, and Dhule showed low schooling attainment and high early marriage. A strong negative correlation (r ≈ –0.66) was observed between women’s educational attainment and early marriage. The study concluded that advancing women’s education, particularly in rural and socio-economically weaker districts, is essential for reducing early marriage and improving gender outcomes.
Keywords: Women’s education, female literacy, child marriage, educational attainment, Maharashtra, NFHS-5