Weekly Numerics | Increasing child fatalities in Gaza, the link between diabetes and air pollution, and the rise of women-led startups

A weekly series from Moneycontrol

Weekly Numerics is a weekly column where we present you with three to five charts based on major events or interesting data points that emerged during the week. Here are some of the figures we want to highlight from the week gone by.

The rising number of children killed in Gaza

There have already been more children killed in Gaza since October 7 to date than the annual figures for child casualties in armed conflict globally for every year since 2019. According to the Gaza health ministry, at least 9,061 Palestinians have been killed so far in the last three weeks as Israel continues to pound the Gaza Strip, with as many as 3,760 of them being child casualties.

The number of children killed in Gaza alone has already crossed the annual child casualty figures from armed conflicts across the world in the last three years. Data from annual reports of the UN Secretary-General on children and armed conflict shows that a total of 2,985 children were killed across 24 countries in 2022. In 2021 and 2020, the number of child casualties across the 22 countries that reported such conflicts stood at 2,515 and 2,674, respectively.

Adding the 31 children killed in Israel during the Hamas attack on October 7, the total child casualty figure in the latest conflict currently stands at 3,791 as on November 2. Additionally, as many as 1,150 children have been reported missing in Gaza and could be trapped under the rubble of destroyed homes.

According to international human rights groups, these figures can soar in coming days in the absence of a ceasefire. “Three weeks of violence have ripped children from families and torn through their lives at an unimaginable rate. The numbers are harrowing and with violence not only continuing but expanding in Gaza right now, many more children remain at grave risk,” said Jason Lee, the Palestine country director of Save the Children.

Can a rise in air pollution increase the risk of diabetes?

As major Indian cities grapple with worsening air quality levels, a recently published report based on a seven-year study in Delhi and Chennai linked particle pollution from fine particulates (PM2.5) to type 2 diabetes.

The study, which was conducted among 12,000 residents of Chennai and Delhi, found that increased PM2.5 particles led to higher blood sugar levels and increased incidence of type 2 diabetes.

According to the researchers, even just one month of exposure to PM2.5 particles can lead to elevated levels of blood sugar. Prolonged exposure of one year or more could lead to an increased risk of diabetes. In fact, every 10 microgram rise in the annual average PM2.5 level could lead to a 22 percent rise in the risk of diabetes.

India is also one of the worst performers when it comes to air quality globally. According to the world air quality rankings by IQAir, India is ranked eighth from the bottom when it comes to air quality.

As air quality remains poor in cities like Delhi and Mumbai, the burden of diabetes could see a rise, along with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases that are already linked to air pollution.

Startups are leading the way in bridging the gender gap

India only had around 6,000 startups in 2017, with just 10 percent of them being led by women. However, by 2022, the number of startups has increased rapidly to cross 80,000 and the share of women-led startups has grown to become 18 percent of the total, according to a recent report released by ACT Grants and The Udaiti Foundation.

According to the report, the share of women-led firms among unicorn startups has also grown from just 8 percent to 17 percent during this period.

Citing Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade data, the report said that up to 35 percent of approximately 860,000 persons employed by startups as of 2022 were women. Meanwhile, Periodic Labour Force Survey data shows that the share of women among those employed by the larger companies in the formal corporate sector at large in India stands much lower, at 19 percent.

Startups also lead the way when it comes to leadership positions. Compared to the 18 percent recorded in startups, the share of women among CEOs/founders of Indian corporations stands at just 5 percent. A good 32 percent of startup managers are women, whereas in the legacy corporate sector, this figure stands at 21 percent.

Although relatively better, there is a lingering gender divide in the startup ecosystem as well. According to the report, men are more likely to attain top leadership positions than women in startups despite having similar levels of seniority and experience.

Among startup employees with more than 10 years of experience, as many as 8 out of 10 men occupy a director/vice president position or higher, compared to just about 5 in 10 women.