Kolkata Sanved conducted SRHR sessions with 74 adolescent girls between the age group of 12 years to 18 years in three different locations of West Bengal in collaboration with three partner organizations. All the participants belonged to the economically deprived community of remote rural areas of South 24 Parganas, Howrah and Birbhum. In each case the partner organization assessed that the youngsters often faced various types of gender-based violence and were prone to become prey due to lack of knowledge about basic rights, especially sexual reproductive health rights. As sexual and reproductive health is not only about physical wellbeing – it includes the right to healthy and respectful relationships, health services that are inclusive, safe and appropriate, access to accurate information, effective and affordable methods of contraception and access to timely support.
SRHR sessions included Body awareness and Body mapping, Gender stressors at present and across lifespan, Menstrual cycle and reproduction, HIV, navigating safe relationships and ending with an understanding of safe space and relationships. The participants were able to identify the gender-based stereotypes and restrictions they face at home for being girls. The concept of consent; family planning methods was discussed with the group to make them aware about their sexual reproductive health rights.
Post session most of the participants were able to open up and share how they felt about the activity. They were able to focus on the cognitive based group activities including brainstorming on different topics. Few participants were able to represent the gender stressor across the lifespan and shared their bitter experience with the peer group. It was observed that the participants increased their peer group bonding through their group. They showed reduced hesitation during movements and were eager towards learning facts about the human body and functioning of reproductive system. Participants had several myths attached regarding menstruation, HIV and other Sexually transmitted diseases and towards the end of the session these myths were resolved and they were aware about the scientific facts through the creative activity based DMT sessions.
Through the sharing it was observed that they were able to identify the concept of safe space and the risks of unsafe relationships and gender-based violence.
Between January 2023 and March 2023 Kolkata Sanved conducted a 6 days workshop with 15 participants from Mandirbazar block in South 24 Parganas on Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights. The participants were from remote villages were child marriage and trafficking rates are high and with very less knowledge on menstrual health management, Hygiene and WASH. Often these participants face various types of gender-based violence and are more prone to become prey due to lack of knowledge.
Kolkata Sanved conducted SRHR sessions with 15 adolescent girls from the Institute of Psychological and Educational Research (IPER) Shelter Home between July 2022 to December 2022. In January 2023 2 follow up sessions were conducted with the participants post which the certificate ceremony was conducted on 24th January on National Girl Child Day.
Topics covered in these sessions included Body awareness and mapping, Menstrual cycle and reproduction, navigating safe relationships and HIV, sex and gender, gender stressors at present and across lifespan, understanding safe space and relationships.
Sharing some feedback from the participants :
" I learnt the importance of careful decision making and how to identify safe spaces within my friends and family circle".
" I want to share the stigma and myths associated with menstruation with my sisters and friends back at home who have not been a part of this session.
"I learnt that both partners should get tested for HIV, STD and STIs before getting married and engaging in sexual relationship ".
Kolkata Sanved collaborated with Jeevika Development Society in Joka and Institute of Psychological and Educational Research (IPER) Lake Gardens, to conduct Dance Movement Therapy based Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) workshops over a period of six months.
The participants were young adolescent girls between the age group of 12 years to 18 years. The participants at Jeevika were from remote villages of South 24 Parganas and the participants at IPER belonged from marginalized sections of the community at Lake Gardens in the city of Kolkata. In both cases the partner organization assessed that the youngsters often faced various types of gender-based violence and are prone to become prey due to lack of knowledge about basic rights especially sexual reproductive health rights. The rate of child marriage is also high in the areas where these children live. Topics discussed during the sessions were on body awareness, body mapping, Sex and Gender, Gender stressors, Menstrual Cycle and Reproduction, HIV, navigating safe relationships and understanding safe space.
The group had great enthusiasm in attending the sessions. They were able to follow instructions while doing the movements. The girls have some restrictions at home, like pressure of getting married, resistance towards education but they are still trying to complete their schooling in spite of the resistance. They were able to identify the gender based stereotypes and restrictions that they have to face at home as they are girls. Sessions related to safe and unsafe relationships and the concept of consent, sexual intimacy, family planning methods were discussed with the group to make them aware about their sexual reproductive health rights.
Objectives :
-Creating body awareness among participants and helping them understand their own body
-Helping participants understand the difference between sex and gender and gender stressors at present and during the lifespan.Four Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights workshops for adolescent girls were completed between January 2022 and March 2022 at four different locations; Chitpore, Sickine and Khidirpore in Kolkata and Jonha in Jharkhand. Kolkata Sanved collaborated with three NGOs, Hope Kolkata Foundation, DIKSHA and Aahan Foundation to facilitate the above mentioned workshops. The workshops were facilitated with the youngsters with the aim of creating awareness on gender, sex, sexuality, safe sex, and safe and healthy relationships. A total of 69 youngsters participated in the workshops. The participants were mostly adolescent girls, however their overall age ranged from 11 to 20. The participants came from marginalized communities, residing in urban slums of Kolkata and tribal villages in Jharkhand. The workshop gave the participants an opportunity to discuss many taboo subjects like menstruation, sexual organs, sexuality, safe sex and romantic relationships and learn correct information about these topics which will help them to understand and look after their sexual and reproductive health. The workshops also gave the participants an understanding of gender, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. During the sessions the participants reflected on their own lives and questioned the existing gender norms and were sensitized about diverse gender identities and sexual orientation. The workshops received positive feedback from the participants who shared that they learnt many new things from the sessions and will share their knowledge with their peers.
Participants at khidirpore doing an activity on identifying safe space
Participants at Jonha doing a body mapping exercise
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