Lifeskill,Sexuality Education for 1000 girls-India

Centre for Women’s Development and Research
Life Skill and Sexuality Education for 1000 girls-India (14480)
Update- March2019

January to March is usually important period for school going girls particularly those studying 10^th and 12^th standards they have to attend their board examinations and the results would set their future education and career. If they fail the danger is parents will start thinking about girls marriage.  So we usually help these girls pass these examinations, by organizing supplementary education tuition classes, time management workshops, career guidance.

Supplementary tuition classes are organized in the schools itself, after the school hours, their school teachers provided additional coaching’s 1 or 2 hours in English, Science and Mathematics for our children and those who are interested in attending these classes.  We provided a small honorarium for school teachers for these extra work.  390 girls benefitted from these programmes.  Teachers have been suggesting to provide some supplementary nutrition like last year for these girls but due to financial constraints we could nor provide this, now we are looking for ways of raising resources for this so that next year we can provide some nutritional snacks for the girls.  We have been also continuing our life skill and sexuality education classes in the slums, villages and in schools. More than 500 young girls and boys benefitted from this programme. This programme in a way helps us to reach out to boys. We have also uploaded an app for sexual reproductive health the app ‘Snehidhi’ is available in google play store.

In our 2 recreational learning centres we are providing computer skill, spoken English classes, 78 girls benefitted from these programmes.  We have trained girls to use youtube to learn particularly their academic lessons.  State Council for  Educational Research and Training  Tamilnadu, is producing Tamil videos based on state education syllabus.  We found it is a very useful and encouraging girls to use it for their exam preparation.  

We were also conducting regular women’s meeting that is the mother meeting, mostly discussing about the importance of girl children’s education and how they can help.  We are really happy most of the mothers the domestic workers and single women want to educate their girl children and make sure they do not follow their steps in work.  During December with the local money raised we provided Rs.1000 motivational scholarships to 75 girls particularly in 10^th and 12^th standard classes.  So that they will not discontinue their studies, we have also informed them we will support the girls who wish to continue their education up to undergraduate level, that is up to 21 years of age.  We are in the process of mobilising resources for this.

The major event organized is on 26^th January the republic day of India we have organised a rally and human chain at Besant nagar Beach, Chennai.  Nearly 500 girls participated in this event,  The girls were mobilized by our partner NGOs from Chennai city and our Snehidhi members.  They also distributed pamphlets on Sexual Reproductive Health education and Rights of adolescent girls to the public.  Republic day being a holiday hundreds of people watched and participated in the campaign.  We were also collecting signatures from girls and public to submit a memorandum to the government and political party leaders  demanding to make sexual reproductive health as part of school curriculum, particularly about puberty and menstruations health.   Also demanding clean toilets with water and systems to dispose sanitary pads.  We will be using this as part of our advocacy work during the coming parliament elections, we are in the process of preparing for it.

In the coming months the parliament elections are coming, the board examinations results will also come so we will be involving in advocacy activities and also helping girls with career guidance, getting college admissions, providing counselling services.

Centre for Women’s Development and Research
Life Skill and Sexuality Education for 1000 girls-India (14480)
Update- December  2018

Last 3 months most of the time was spent on Educating public about the importance of eliminating child marriages and providing girl children’s education.  We have also continued our weekend workshops on life skill and sexuality education for adolescent girls. Computer skill training and supplementary education support for adolescent girl. Celebrated International girls children’s day on 11^th October 2018.  On 25^th November we have initiated 16 days campaign to eliminate violence against women and girls.  It will end on 10^th December 2018 that is on International Human Rights Day.

On 11^th October 2018 we have celebrated International Girl Children’s Day in 5 schools, different programmes were organized highlighting girl children’s education, Child rights, sexual reproductive health and rights for adolescent girls.  Nearly 800 girls participated in this programme. Despite increasing awareness about Child rights, child marriage and stringent laws to prevent and eliminate child marriages, child marriages and in Tamilnadu still exists and in spite of the belief that child marriages are happening only in villages, Chennai city leads the number of child marriages in Tamilnadu. Chennai reported 59 child marriages during 2017-18 but during 2015-16 it was only 38.  Most of the child marriages are not reported.  In Kannagi Nagar, one of the biggest slum resettlement area in south Asia.  Our working area child marriages are increasing.  So to educate the public and adolescent girls about the importance of eliminating child marriages and girl children’s education we have initiated a public campaign and advocacy activity. We have printed pamphlets about child marriages and laws related to that and ways of preventing it and distributed in more than 5000 houses in Kannagi nagar slums, we have also organized a signature campaign against child marriages.  While distributing pamphlets out field workers collected signatures demanding the government to implement the laws to eliminate child marriages and also provide proper sexual reproductive health services for girls and women and it was given to the concern ministry and departments.  A street rally and human chain was also organized at Kannagi Nagar on 27^th October 2018.

We have been continuing our life skill and sexuality education, organized regular weekend workshops for adolescent girls, 400 girls benefitted from these workshops. A group of 20 adolescent girls were trained in street plays and folk arts like songs, drum beating, dance, and these girls are involved in 16 days campaign to eliminated violence against women and girls. The campaign was initiated on 25^th November International day to eliminate violence against women and end on International Human Rights day on 10^th December 2018.  They performed street plays, organized cultural programmes, distributed pamphlets to educate public and get their support in advocacy to eliminate child marriages.  More than 10,000 people have reached so far.

We have also organized community level meetings mostly mothers to emphasis on girl children’ education and eliminating child marriages. Nearly 1500 women from 50 slums and 23 villages participated in these meetings.  During December we will start tuition classes for 10^th and 12^th standard girls who will attend their board examinations during March 2019.