Directions: A sentence is given below, and in the options, there are four passages given. Find out from which passage the given sentence can be inferred and mark that as your answer. If the given sentence can not be inferred from any of the given passages, mark 'none of these' as your answer.
Inference - The availability of safe and affordable childcare is crucial for promoting women's employment and reducing their dependence on traditional gender roles.
1
As families began having fewer children, ensuring at least one son became more difficult. With four children, the chance of not having a son was barely 6%, but with two children, it grew to 25%. Social norms and patrilocal kinship patterns combined with a lack of financial security reinforce a preference for sons. The India Human Development Survey (IHDS) found that 85% of women respondents expected to rely on their sons for old age support, while only 11% expected support from their daughters.
2
Demographic shifts also affect women’s lives at older ages. With rising life expectancy, the proportion of the female population aged 65 and above increased from 5% to 11% between 1950 and 2022 and is projected to reach 21% by 2050. While the proportion of older men will also increase, aging for women has unique implications. Women generally marry men who are older and are more likely to outlive their husbands. The 2011 Census shows that while only 18% of men above age 65 are widowed, about 55% of the women are widowed.
3
Changing patriarchal norms may take a long time. Meanwhile, enhancing women’s access to employment and assets will reduce their reliance on sons and could break the vicious cycle of gendered disadvantage, stretching from childhood to old age. However, unlike East Asian nations where demographic transformation has led to delayed and often foregone marriage and childbearing, early marriage and childbearing remain central to Indian women’s lives. Hence, any efforts at improving women’s labor force participation must be accompanied by access to safe and affordable childcare.
4
In aging societies that worry about labor productivity, achieving gender parity in the workforce is the most effective way to improve output and income growth. And in countries experiencing rapid population growth, women’s empowerment through education and family planning can bring enormous benefits by way of human capital and inclusive economic development. More importantly, the focus on gender equality helps shift the focus away from the notion of ‘population stabilization’ to ‘population dynamics’ based on reproductive choices people make.
5
None of these