We have observed an effect and seek a cause. What is the shortest cause and effect statement we can write? That is, what is the shortest statement applying the known hard data?

        EFFECT   The observed effect is the low well-being in India and the high well being in Kerala.
 

Well-being Measurements
	India	Kerala
Male life expectancy	59	69
Female life expectancy	59	74
Death rate: 0-4 age group	16.5	4.3
Total fertility rate	3.6	1.8
Male literacy	64	94
Female literacy	39	86

        NO CAUSE   There are no economic indicators which explain the well-being effect. The cause is not economic.
 

Economic Indicators
	India	Kerala
Domestic product/capita rupees	5583	4618
Purchasing power parity	$1210	$1070*
Economic growth rate	3.1%	0.3%

*Kerala PPP adjusted upward to add value of Gulf remittances

        CAUSE of the CAUSE   The cause of the well-being effect is the same as the cause of another effect---the female/male ratios in India of less than one and the female/male ratios in Kerala of more than one.
 

	India		Kerala
	Female	Male	Female	Male
Female/Male ratio	927	1000	1036	1000

       CAUSE   What is the cause of the effect, low female survival in India and high female survival in Kerala? Two parallel and supporting descriptions of the cause of the effect are known, history and family structure. For history see Creation history and Indian reality. For family structure see Families in India and Families in Kerala.

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