Gender Disparity in Literacy in Koch Bihar District: A Spatio-Temporal Perspective

Gender disparity is the difference in treatment, opportunities and resources between people based solely on their gender. This study examines how the geography of gender disparity in literacy changed in Koch Bihar district, West Bengal, over the Census period 1991-2011. It combines a district-level three-census series (1991, 2001 and 2011) with a verified two-census panel for the twelve rural Community Development (CD) blocks (2001 and 2011). Gender inequality is measured using the modified Sopher Disparity Index, supported by the literacy gap and changes in female literacy. At district level, male literacy increased from 57.35% in 1991 to 80.71% in 2011, while female literacy rose more rapidly from 33.31% to 68.49%. Consequently, the Sopher index declined from 0.304 to 0.114. Across the twelve rural blocks, the mean index fell from 0.244 in 2001 to 0.138 in 2011, a reduction of 43.4%. Every block converged, but the relative geography of disadvantage remained persistent: Mathabhanga-I and Mekhliganj retained the highest 2011 disparities (both 0.160), whereas Cooch Behar-II and Dinhata-II recorded the lowest (both 0.119). The results reveal a dual process of universal improvement and durable spatial hierarchy. The paper argues that district-wide literacy progress should therefore be complemented by block-sensitive interventions focused on female retention, secondary-school accessibility and adult literacy.