Rohtak, May 31 -- Even as Haryana's women are far more connected, financially aware, and socially empowered than they were a few years ago, many deep-rooted social challenges, such as child marriage, gender-based violence, and limited economic participation, remain major concerns in the state, according to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6). The survey, conducted during 2023-24 and compared with the NFHS-5 survey of 2019-21, captures a major social transformation in women's empowerment. With access to mobile phones, internet services, and banking facilities expanding sharply, the trend reflects the growing reach of smartphones, digital payments, online education, and welfare schemes. The report suggests that nearly three out of four women in Haryana have used the internet, with the figure rising from 48.4% in 2019-21 to 74% in 2023-24, compared to 87% of males. Women's financial inclusion has also improved considerably. The percentage of women with bank accounts increased sharply from 73.6% to 85.2%, while mobile phone ownership rose from 50.4% to 64.9%. More than 91% of women now participate in key household decisions, compared to 87.5% in 2019-21. However, the survey also exposes the limits of women empowerment as only 25.1% women reported earning cash income through work, though the figure improved from 18.8% in the previous survey. The data points to a major contradiction as women are gaining access to technology and financial systems, but economic participation continues to lag significantly.The survey further reveals that traditional social challenges persist despite gradual improvements. Eliminating child marriage remains a hurdle, with the rate among women aged 20-24 decreasing only slightly to 11.9%, compared to 12.5% in 2019-21. Meanwhile, early marriage among men aged 25-29 fell from 16% to 13.3%. While Haryana's Total Fertility Rate remained stable at 2.0, teenage pregnancy and motherhood increased from 3.9% to 4.7%, highlighting continuing gaps in adolescent reproductive health awareness. The survey also presents mixed trends regarding gender-based violence. Spousal violence among ever-married women aged 18-49 declined from 17.9% to 13.6%. Meanwhile, incidents of sexual violence before the age of 18 among young women reduced from 0.4% to 0.1%....