[Regionalization of the total mortality of young girls in Belgium between 1890 and 1910].

In this article we describe the evolution of mortality and differential mortality between the sexes in Belgium from birth till the 20th birthday during the period 1890-1910. Excess female mortality occurred especially between the ages of 5 and 20 and had a favourable development during the period of observation: in 1910 the phenomenon was not as general as in 1890, but it still existed in 21 of the 41 districts, with variable intensity. Excess female mortality declined more rapidly in the South than in the North of the country. We noted on the other hand that the intensity of the phenomenon was not related to the level of mortality: tuberculosis, a related cause to excess female mortality, dropped clearly during this period, consequence of better working conditions and a better standard of living. The analysis of excess female mortality in areas with a different system of production showed the importance of the position of girls (and boys) in the production process towards the explanation of the spatial variation of excess female mortality. The female disadvantage was most important in rural and textile areas due to the intensity and the nature of the labour of girls in these regions.