Nusrat Jahan Sathi, Khondokar Naymul Islam, Silvia Ferdousi, Al Sakyf Azad, Md. Akhtarul Islam
Background The preference for sons is a tradition-based form of gender discrimination that hinders the establishment of gender equality, particularly in India. This bias stems from the combined effects of cultural, social, and economic factors. Therefore, the present study aims to assess the inequalities associated with son preference and maternal education level and to examine the disparities across two wealth classes: poor and non-poor. The study also evaluates how sociodemographic factors contribute to these disparities. Methods This study used the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) data on a weighted sample of 59,439 women in India. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify factors related to son preference among selected women participants and across two wealth class groups: the poor and the non-poor groups. Additionally, the concentration curve (CC) and concentration index (CIX) were utilized to assess education-related inequalities among socioeconomic predictors and to evaluate each factor's contribution to the disparities in son preference. Results Our study shows a statistically significant negative concentration index of −0.269, indicating that maternal education-related inequalities persist in son preference among Indian women. Therefore, son preference is highly concentrated among women with lower educational attainment in India. By the decomposition analysis, maternal education is the most influential factor, followed by geographic location, age at marriage, and place of residence. Education-related inequalities are also more pronounced in both wealth groups (poor and non-poor). Education plays a crucial role in shaping gender preferences and reducing disparities. The logistic regression model results also indicate that the odds of boy preference are higher among the least educated women than among the most educated women. Additionally, the percentage contribution of maternal education to overall inequality in son preference is greater among the poor group compared to the non-poor group. Conclusion This paper emphasizes the need for maternal education to control son preference disparities in India. It implies that changes in policies improving women's education, socioeconomic level, and gender equality may help offset cultural biases and promote more balanced societal views on sons and daughters.