Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Public Health Research 2327-6703 3 4A 2015 06 26 Gender Preference among Married Women in Kolkata Metropolitan Slum of India 6 11 EN Sanjay kr Saha Medhatithi Barman Avishek Gupta Piyali Dutta Chowdhury Gautam Sarker MGM Medical College & LSK Hospital, Kishanganj, Bihar, India Ranabir Pal AJPHR201534A2 10.12691/ajphr-3-4A-2 2015 04 08 2015 04 29 2015 06 26 Preference for Male baby reflects underlying socioeconomic and cultural patterns and prevailing inequity between genders in many societies in India. A cross-sectional population based study was conducted in the urban slum of Kolkata in eastern India on socio-demographic variables of gender preference among 122 married women using a predesigned, pretested, semi-structured data collection tool. Maximum participants were less than 35 years - 25-34 years (50%) and 15-24 years (45.08%); Female children were predominant; one-third (33.16%) were born between 25-34 age of mothers followed by 10.56 percent from 15-24 age. Among respondents, majority were Hindu (78.68%); from Joint family (54.10%); Unreserved caste (56.57%); Primary school literates (60.65%). Female children were more among Hindus (54.55%), in nuclear families (53.88%), among middle and secondary level of literate mothers (58.23%). Gender had no significant role in treatment seeking behavior though male children had significantly more completion of immunization. In the continuation of education male children received significant advantages. Majority (58.20%) responded with two as the ideal family size; yet all the participants with single living daughter desired another child, preferably a son though 10 percent desired a daughter. Among the participants having one living son and no daughter, looked-for another child (16%), another son (36%) and rest (48%) a daughter. The study identified male gender baby preference among married women related with socio-demographic variables.