Question

Historically, all over the world, it has been found that there are slightly more females than males in most countries. Which of the following factors made this possible?
I. Women tend to outlive men at the other end of the life cycle.
II. Girl babies are resistant to boy babies in infancy.
III. Gender-based families with preference for sons.
IV. Gender-neutral behaviour.

• A. I, II and III
• B. I and III
• C. III and IV
• D. I and II

Hint:

When analyzing demographic issues, consider both the biological and social factors that contribute to population distributions.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Women tend to outlive men: It has been found that women tend to have higher life expectancy compared to men, which is a biological factor.
Girl babies are resistant to boy babies: Studies have indicated that girl babies have a lower mortality rate as they are more resistant to infections and diseases during infancy, which contributes to a slightly higher overall female population.
Preference for Sons: Gender based families prefer to have sons and often use technologies to ensure birth of more boys which results in an imbalance in sex ratio. Therefore, this is not a factor contributing to a greater female population.
Gender-neutral behaviour: Gender neutral behavior, if present, would not result in such a condition. Also, gender-neutral behavior is largely absent in the world, thus it is not a valid reason for having more females.