Integrating gender in a Life Skills Education Programme for rural adolescents -The experience of Rural Women's Social Education Centre, Tamilnadu, India
Item
- Title
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Integrating gender in a Life Skills Education
Programme for rural adolescents -The experience of
Rural Women's Social Education Centre, Tamilnadu, India - extracted text
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Integrating gender in a Life Skills Education
Programme for rural adolescents -The experience of
Rural Women's Social Education Centre, Tamilnadu, India
P. Balasubramanian
T.K. Sundari Ravindran
RUWSEC
Draft Paper
Rural Women's Social Education Centre (RUWSEC)
191 - A, Nehru Nagar, Vallam - Po. Chengalpattu,
Tamilnadu, India.
W: 91-4114-220216; Tele fax: 91-4114-220682
E-mail: kcm_rural@sancharnet.in
1.
Background and context
l.l.Introduction
Gender roles, norms and gender power dynamics are at the core of sexual,
reproductive, psychological and social well-being. Adolescence is a period when
gender roles and norms, especially in relation to sexuality and identity are evolving
and becoming defined. This period therefore offers an opportunity for promotion of
gender equitable values, attitudes and behaviour. Yet, while gender as an 'antecedent1
or determinant of adolescent health and development has been addressed in a number
of studies and reviews, there is a very limited understanding of how best to address
gender concerns within programmes for adolescents.
This paper seeks to document the experiences of integrating gender in a life skills
education programme for rural adolescents in Tamil Nadu, India. The paper is based
on in-depth interviews with young women and men who had participated in the Life
Skills Education Programme more than two years ago. The interviews aimed to find
out their perceptions about whether and to what extent the information and values
imparted in the programme, especially those related to gender roles and norms, have
had an impact on their lives two or more years down the line.
The first part of the paper gives some background details about the study area, the
implementing organization and details about the Life Skills Education Programme. The
second section of the paper describes the study methodology and the characteristics of
participants, and the third section presents the results of the study.
1.2. The context
The Life Skills Education Programme described in this paper is being implemented in
rural Kanchipuram district in Tamil Nadu, India. Tamil Nadu is generally considered
as among the more 'developed' states in India. In reality, the state presents a mixed
picture in terms of development and women's status. The state has a high female
literacy and work participation rate, and the second-lowest total fertility rate in the
country, with below- replacement levels of fertility. [1] On the other hand, female
infanticide has been reported from several parts of the state, and recent data show that
'social causes' (read infanticide) accounted for 8% of infant deaths in 1995. [7]
The implementing organization is Rural Women's Social Education Centre (RUWSEC),
a grassroots women's organization founded in 1981. The organisation operates from
Chengalpattu, near Madras (Chennai) in Tamil Nadu. The organisation's activities
cover a rural population of about fifty thousand.
Achieving women's well-being through women's empowerment has been the main
focus of the organisation's work since its inception. In pursuit of this goal, the
1
organisation carries out a wide spectrum of activities which are community-based,
school-based and through health facility. It works with women and men, primarily
from economically and socially marginalized communities. Life Skills Education
Programme for adolescent girls and boys is only one of the several projects
implemented by the organisation.
In the project area covered by the Life Skills Education Programme, adolescents (10-19
years) constituted 22.5% of the total population. The proportion of illiterate adolescent
girls (23.4 per cent) was twice that of adolescent boys (11.5 percent). Seventy two per
cent of the boys were currently in school, as compared to only 55 per cent of the girls.
Only a third of the boys and 22 per cent of the girls who were in school were above 15
years of age.
A third of the boys who were out of school had never been to school, and about 19 per
cent had dropped out before grade five. In comparison, nearly fifty per cent of out-of
school girls had had no schooling at all, while about 20 per cent had dropped out
before grade five.
Ninety per cent of the boys who were not in school worked as agricultural labourers,
most of them (75 per cent) as casual daily wageworkers. Among girls, two thirds
worked as agricultural wage workers, 15 per cent as workers in production units in the
export promotion zones located in Thirupporur block and on the outskirts of Madras
city, and 20 per cent were home-based. Boys had fewer employment opportunities
outside agriculture as compared to girls, because the export promotion zones largely
employed girls rather than boys. For both boys and girls, there were few openings for
vocational training or skill development that would help them secure jobs outside
agriculture after completion of high school.
l.S.RUWSEC's Life Skills Education Programme
The Need
RUWSEC's work with adolescents dates back to the early days of the organisation's
work, although it was several years before it evolved into a programme with wellarticulated objectives. The Life Skills Education Programme described below began in
1996, bringing together various projects with adolescent boys and girls that had been
previously initiated under a single cohesive programme.
The need for a cohesive programme for adolescents with a clear vision, well-articulated
objectives and adequately planned interventions began to be felt by the senior workers
of the organisation through 1994-95. To some extent, this was influenced by the
discussions about the needs of adolescents during the preparatory meetings for ICPD
in which senior staffs participated. The focus on young people as a result of the
HIV/AIDS pandemic was another contributory factor.
2
The community context had also undergone rapid changes within a short span of five
to six years starting in the mid-eighties. There were better roads and better access to
towns and to Madras city. Exposure to mass media had increased with the installation
of 'public' televisions by the government in the villages. When private television
channels and satellite connections became the norm in the early 1990s, news and views
from the world over came to these villages near Chengalpattu, as they did in other
parts of Tamil Nadu.
Another factor was that, about 10 per cent of adolescent girls were employed in a
number of small-scale industries that had come up in the area. For many of these girls,
this was probably the first time that they were spending extended periods of time
outside the village environment without the supervision of elders, and in the company
of men.
Overall, the macro-social context was supportive of work with young people, and there
were sections of the local community, which expressed the need to "do something to
help adolescents not lose their way". This included members of the women's
'sanghams' in villages.
In addition, the fact that many of RUWSEC's programme co-ordinators who started out
as young mothers in 1981 were now dealing with adolescent children brought in an
element of strong personal motivation to help adolescents deal with their lives more
responsibly.
Framework and guiding principles
In designing its programme, RUWSEC has been guided by the Tife skills' education
approach, which takes into account these multi-dimensional needs of the adolescent.
'Life skills' have been defined as 'abilities for adaptive and positive behaviour that enable us
to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life.' (WHO, 1993)
Life skills can be grouped into five major areas:
•
Self awareness and empathy
•
Communication and interpersonal relationships
•
Decision-making and problem solving
•
Creative thinking/ critical thinking
•
Coping with emotions and stressors
The organisation has integrated into this approach an explicit gender analysis and
training component, which it believes constitutes an essential life skill in the current
times where gender power equations are undergoing major changes. Programmes
focusing exclusively on sex, reproduction, family planning and HIV/AIDS without
addressing the adolescent in his/her totality may not succeed in achieving what a 'sex
3
education' programme aims to do - to promote healthy and responsible sexuality and
reproduction. For after all, adolescents' sexual and reproductive behaviour is but an
extension of their behaviour in other facets of their lives.
Programme objectives
The vision of the programme is to provide adolescents with the information and tools
necessary to
□ Cope with the physical and emotional changes occurring during adolescence
□ Evolve into mature and well-adjusted adults capable of making decisions
concerning various aspects of their lives confidently and responsibly
□ Adopt values and behaviour patterns that subscribe to egalitarian and
humane gender relations and uphold social justice.
The specific objectives of the programme may be summarised as follows:
«
Meet adolescents' practical needs such as literacy and numeracy skills and help
with school lessons; information regarding further training and income earning
opportunities; access to health services; recreation; and involvement in
community activities
•
Help adolescents develop a positive self-image, and become more expressive and
assertive in their relationship with their peers and others..
•
Facilitate the acquisition of knowledge, views and skills that will help adolescent
girls and boys understand the physical and emotional changes being
experienced; feel at ease with their sexuality; and make informed and responsible
decisions through adolescence and thereafter, concerning sexual behaviour,
marriage and child-bearing
•
Create gender awareness among girls and boys, help imbibe behaviour patterns
and values that promote egalitarian gender relations, and discourage violence
against women and sexual abuse.
•
Prevent substance abuse and suicide
•
Develop critical and analytical thinking; and leadership and organising skills that
would enable them to act creatively to bring about positive changes in their lives
Programme components
The programme covers both adolescent girls and boys, and consists of eight projects.
Five of these are life-skills education projects catering to specific sub-groups of
adolescents. Three are projects providing a range of services or opportunities to the
adolescent population in general. These projects are complementary, and together seek
to address the multiple and diverse needs of adolescents.
Table 1 below summarises the different components and population sub-groups
covered:
4
Course
durati
on
2
years#
Target group
Location
Frequency
Coverage
Workshop
duration
Out-of-school
(Including
illiterate) girls,
unmarried,
11-18 years
Out-of-school
Boys,
unmarried,
15-19 years
a) Community
b) RUWSECs
training center
a) fortnightly
b) Three
times/yr
60
villages
a) 2 hrs
b) One day
a) Community
b) RUWSECzs
training centre
c) Youth centres
a) School
b) RUWSECs
training center
Monthly
a & b) 60
villages
c)6
villages
10
schools
a) 2 hrs
b& c) One
day
2
years#
a) 1994
b) 1996
a) 3 hrs
b) One day
1 year
1996
a) 3
cohorts
b) one
cohort
2 hrs
a) 2
years
b) l
year
1996
Secondary
school students
(boys & girls)
Young women
working in
factories
a) Community
b) Vocational
training centre
a) 8 / year
b) 2 /year
during
vacation
Once a week
Year of
start
1982
# The duration of 2 years for each cohort was fixed only in 1998
The curriculum
A core-curriculum has been developed, organized around the following major themes:
Personal development
Gender issues
Taking care of ourselves
Reproductive health and rights
Leadership skills
Social awareness
[Annex 1 contains one example of how the curriculum has been adapted to suit the
needs of the secondary school project].
Each workshop is divided into a number of sessions. There are very few 'lecture' or
'input' sessions, and topics were covered mostly through case studies, group
discussions, role plays, brain storming and other participatory exercises requiring each
student to express her/his views and ideas. No matter what the method used, the
underlying principle is to treat participants not as empty vessels which have to be filled
with information, but as intelligent persons who bring with them knowledge and
wisdom, and through the facilitation process, build on these. Facilitators elicit opinions
from participants and frankly admit when they do not know something. They welcome
challenges and disagreements and channel these into interesting debates.
5
2. The Present Study
The present study was designed as a rapid assessment to find out the impact of the Life
Skills Education Programme on the lives of those who participated in it.
2.1. Research questions, methodology and respondent characteristics
a. Do young women and men use the information and values
learnt in the Life Skills Education Programme in their lives?
If yes, in what ways and why?
b. What barriers if any, do they encounter when trying to
practice different gender norms and values?
c. Is there a gender difference in whether and how changes can
be made in one's life on the basis of new learning? If yes.
The respondents of the study were selected randomly from participants of RUWSEC's
adolescent life skills education programme who had attended workshops 2- 6 years
ago. [Table A]
A purposive sample of 40, with 20 men and 20 women, was chosen to carry out indepth interviews. When selecting the respondents care was taken to get representation
from different socio-economic and demographic groups. Within each group, 10 were
selected from school-based and 10 from out-of-school [community-based] programmes.
Data were collected through in-depth interviews using a structured guideline. The
interview-guideline was loosely structured, with open-ended questions about
background characteristics, what they liked best about the programme and whom they
shared the new information with; attitudinal and behavioural changes after attending
the classes, barriers to practicing new gender roles or norms.
A little more than half the respondents (52.5 percent) were below 19 years of age. The
mean age of female respondents was 19.8 and for males it was 20.06 years. The majority
of the participants (33 of 40) belonged to Schedule class/ 'dalif community. Thirty
percent of respondents: 8 females and 4 males were married. Seventy percent of the
males and 55 percent of females lived in nuclear families. Average household size was
5.7 and 4.9 for male and female respectively. Slightly more than half of the respondents
came from households that possessed some land while 19/40 were from landless
households. Except a visually impaired girl, all participants had attended school. But
there was a wide sex difference in the level of schooling. Ninety percent of men had 9
or more years of schooling as compared to only 60 percent of women. Around sixty
percent of respondents were not engaged in economic activities that brought an
income. Four men and three women were working in factories, five were agricultural
6
labourers and the remaining four were 'others' category, which includes business,
social work. [Table B]
Watching television was the major source of entertainment reported. Among male,
playing cricket and other games was the second most common entertainment. Many
respondents reported reading as a hobby.
About two-fifth of the respondents (65 percent) had attended the life skills workshops
3- 4 years earlier and another 17.5 percent had done so 5- 6 years earlier. Only seven
had attended workshops two years ago.
Overall, self-confidence and assertiveness-related workshops were the most popular.
Workshops on 'Menstrual health' and 'Relationship with the opposite sex' were the
second and third favourites. One-fifth liked the workshop on 'Gender roles' and
another one fifth liked the information on 'Sexually Transmitted Diseases and
HIV/AIDS'. Half of the female respondents liked the topic on 'Menstrual Health and
hygiene and whereas the same percentage of males liked the workshop on 'Self
confidence'. [Table C]
Information/knowledge from the workshops was shared most commonly with friends,
but also with parents, brothers and sisters. [Table D]
3.
Impact of the programme
3.1. Self -Confidence and Assertiveness
The life skills education programme has played a major role in developing individual's
self confidence and assertiveness. Overall, nearly two third of the respondents;
fourteen women and twelve men stated that their self-confidence and assertiveness had
developed considerably.
Seven women and one man stated that they were able to speak with others with greater
confidence:
I was very timid and afraid to speak with men. I was also very innocent and needed an escort to
go out of the village. So, my father used to come with me. Now, I have become a better judge of
people. My self-confidence has developed a lot. That's why I stay and work in Chennai city. If I
had not attended the workshops, s I would not t have such courage and confidence. WOS-2
In the early days of marriage, my husband had a habit of bringing his friends home; one of his
friends behaved badly (sexual harass) with me. I disliked him and told my husband not to bring
such friends home. After a week when my husband was not at home that person came home. I
told him "Don't speak with me". WIS-14
I am able to boldly raise objection to anything that maybe wrong in my village.
MOS- 4
Two women and five men had succeeded in their education and in finding
employment:
7
Generally, in my family girls were not sent to school after menarche. My parents tried to stop
my education after the 10th grade. But I convinced them and joined 11th grade in
Chengalpattu town. WIS-17
A man who runs a small business said,
I went to Pondicherry on my own and met the marketing manger of a company to start a
business. Based on his suggestion, I started my business and learn a living successfully.
MOS - 3
I was working in a company which terminated my employment last year. I didn't lose my
confidence. Immediately I started a small business and I am able to take care of my family and
am able to send my brother for higher studies. MOS-5
In my village I was the first student to opt for science in the twelfth grade. My friends told me
that it was a tough subject. But I have confidence that I will definitely succeed. MIS - 11
Six respondents; three women and three men had taken significant decisions about
their future.
I decided that I would not marry before 21 and will marry the person of my parents' choice.
WOS-7
I decided not to have any sexual relations before marriage. Even after marriage I will remain
faithful to my wife. MOS - 2
One school-going girl reported that she had consulted a doctor for her white-discharge
problem, an act of considerable courage in her view:
Overall, my self -confidence has developed. Recently I had white-discharge. Immediately I
consulted a doctor without feeling shy and got cured. WIS-19.
Four married and one unmarried girl had handled assertively situations of sexual and
romantic advances by men:
One day, my fiancee wanted to have sex. I didn't agree to this. He became angry and said that I
did not love him but I was firm in my decision. Now we are married. I am happy about that
decision. WOS-1
When I was in school, three boys had sent love letters to me. I told them directly that I was only
friends with them, and did not care for them in any other way. WIS-16
Two men overcame their peer pressure assertively:
A 30 year old married man with three children shared.
My friends compelled me to have sex with prostitutes many times. But I rejected their offer
strongly saying "AIDS could spread easily through such sexual contact. MOS - 7
8
A seventeen- ear old twelfth grade boy said,
I haven't bowed down to peer pressure to drink. MIS -13
3.2. Health information and behaviour
Menstrual Health and Hygiene
Three out of twenty female participants reported that they had wrong notions about
menstruation before attending the workshops:
I believed that during periods it is not good to enter the pooja [prayer] room, that we shouldn't
water plants or touch infants. But I learnt from the workshop that these were wrong. WOS-2
Eleven girls had changed their practices related to menstruation and menstrual hygiene
after attending the workshops:
I learnt how to use cloth properly. When I was sitting outside my home on the second day of my
first menstrual period ( a ritual -function is organised on this day, when a girl attains puberty),
one of my relatives had asked me to stand. Since I didn't use any cloth or napkin, there were
bloodstains on my skirt. I felt ashamed. After the workshop I shared my learning with my
mother and sister. Now we maintain good menstrual hygiene, by cleaning the cloth and drying
it in sunlight. I also learnt that menstrual blood is not bad blood. WOS-3
Earlier I used to ask my mother to wash the cloth that I used. When she asked me why I did not
do it, I told her that my friend's mother cleaned hers. But now, I wash them myself. I go to
school by bus so I use ready made 'Stayfree' napkins. WIS-17
I didn't know how to use cloth during menstruation. I used two petticoats with panties. Now I
use 'Kotex' readymade napkins. My, mother gives me money for them. This is the only aspect
that she has changed. WIS-18
Substance abuse among men
Three men had stopped consuming addictive substances :
I had have given up the habit of drinking and consuming panparag.
MOS-2
I drank because I thought drinking would make me happy. . But after I got to know the side
effects of drinking, I have stopped the habit. MOS - 8
Three more men decided never to use addictive substances:
I have decided that I will not drink. MOS - 5
I have decided not to use substances. MIS -18
9
Changes in other health practices
Almost half of the participants stated that their health-related practices had changed
for the better:
I clean fruits and vegetables before I cook/ eat. I used to take a bath once in two or three days,
and changed under-garments once in four days. But now, I take a bath and clean my home
regularly. I have green, leafy vegetables. WOS-2
Since I learnt the importance of immunization, I was regular with the injections and ate healthy
food during my pregnancies. WOS-4
I keep my house and its surroundings clean. I used to get angry even for small matters. But now
I try to be more calm. MOS -10
J practise good personal hygiene: bathe regularly, cut my nails, keep my house and its
surroundings clean, don'teat food sold on pavements. MIS -16
3.3. Gender issues
Changes in attitudes about gender-based hierarchies
Six respondents: three men and three women said that they had wrong notions that
'men were superior' but it had changed after the workshops:
Earlier I used to think that a wife should obey her husband's words and commands. But I
realized we, women also have our own feelings; men should respect the feeling. Since I shared
this with my husband, he supports me in doing household work like cutting vegetables, dressing
children and cleaning the house etc. Earlier if I returned home late he used to scold me but not
now. WOS-10
When I was studying in the 9th and 10th grades, my friends encouraged me to sing and
appreciated my voice. They suggested that I join an orchestra group. At the time, 1 thought that
a woman cannot sing with a man. (After the workshops) I realized that it is a profession and
there is nothing wrong in working jointly with men. WOS-9
Earlier I thought wives should serve their husbands. I learnt through the workshops that they
also have their own feelings and rights, blow I help my wife in doing household chores like
cleaning house, fetching water etc. We both have jointly decided to stop with two children.
MOSS
Earlier I believed that women were responsible for the sex of the child. But now I know that men
are responsible for it. One of my relatives had only girl children. So her husband tried to marry
another woman. I told him the facts and prevented his second marriage. I felt proud of it.
MOSS
10
Men's participation in household work
There is a welcome trend that we observed from the study that men have started
sharing household chores with their mothers/ wives.
Half of the male (10 of 20) respondents, three of whom were married, reported that
they do help women in domestic work:
1 help my wife in performing household chores like fetching water, bringing firewood etc.
Initially when I started sharing the household work with her, she didn't likeit. She said if some
body saw me, they would ridicule me. Then I explained to her that it was a personal mattei and
we should not bother about what others say. MOS - 7
Another youth who has three married brothers said:
I help my mother in doing household work. On seeing this my brothers have also started helping
their wives with the housework. MOS - 9
A teenage school-going boy said:
I fetch water, cut vegetables, clean the house and so on.- MIS -19
Relationship with opposite sex and elders
Five women and two men expressed that the workshops had facilitated development
of positive relationships with the opposite-sex, and also better relationships with family
members:
<
I have no brothers. So, I felt very shy to speak with men. After attending the workshop,
particularly the one about 'Relationship with opposite sex', I began to speak with men boldly
and now I strongly believe that a man and woman can be good friends [have a platonic
relationship]. WIS-19
A young man who attended the workshops in the year of his marriage, said that he
began respecting his wife's sexual likes and dislikes:
Earlier I used to have sex with my wife whenever I liked. Since the workshops I I ask her about
her interest and have sex with her consent. MOS - 7
3.4 What are the barriers to adopting behavioural changes
Being male orfemale
More than one third of the respondents (7men and 7 women) felt that it was far easier
for men as compared to women, to adopt behavioural change on the basis of
information and attitudes learnt in the Life Skills Education workshops:
n
O{
HEVv- /CO
I L-oon
i!
11
Even though we have information and confidence, we can't overrule the opinions of our elders
and husbands.. For example, even to buy a saree we need husband's permission. If I were a man
I would have been able to act differently. There is a notion in society that whatever men do, it is
right (nothing is wrong). WIS-20
Even though I am a man, I am not in a position to practice all that I learnt, how could a woman
practice it? MOS-1
If I were a woman I couldn't practice what I learnt. My husband should have the same attitude
towards gender equality MOS-8
Interestingly seven men and two women felt that they could practice the norms easily
if they were women:
If I was a girl, I could have shared household work the with my mother. I could inform other
women about white discharge, how to protect oneselffrom coercive sex and all that. MOS-IO
Since lama girl, I could share all the information and knowledge with my family members and
tried to change their habits. If I were a boy, it would not have been possible to share withfamihj
members because men rarely share matters with others. WIS-18
Only one girl proudly said that women only practice the matters
If, I am a man it would be very difficult to practice them. Because, women are only household
administrator, they can only practice them completely. WOS-5
Parents and neighbours
Most of the female respondents said that they faced opposition from elders and parents
in establishing gender equality:
Tliis programme has changed me in many aspects. But, I couldn't change my parents because
there are very orthodox. Even now, my mother has restrictions for me during menstruationnot to enter the pooja [prayer] room, sleep out side the house, not touch others, have oil bath.
Every month I have arguments with my mother. Even though I know that menstrual blood is
not dirty, my mother won't accept it. WIS-18
I know the nutritious value of milk, egg and fruits. So I give them to my infant. But elders in
my family shout at me and feel that the infant could fall sick frequently because of my food
practices. So in a joint family, I am not able to adopt the healthy practices that I learned about.
WOS-8
I have good and friendly relationships with girls. My friends perceive these as wrong. So I am
afraid to have any interaction with girls. MIS-11
When I do household work, my neighbours pass negative comments. My parents also scold me.
MOS-S
12
Age
In a social setting where authority and age are directly correlated, being young is a
barrier to making any changes for many young people:
Since I am a young girl I am not allowed to change the usual practices. So I accept [nod my
head] what elders say. In our village it is very difficult to practise what we learned. WIS-13
Since I am only fifteen, it is difficult to talk about love and gender relations with others.
MIS-16
Wife
Two married men said their wives do not understand their desire to be different:
Some times I feel it is not good to help my wife with the household work because when I try to
help her, she scolds me and tells me to be a man and not perform these tasks'. MUS-4
I told my wife that vasectomy is very simple. I could undergo the operation, but she didn't
accept. She said that I was the only earning member in our family and if something happened
to me then there would be no one to support us. MOS-7
13
Conclusions
The paper presents a preliminary assessment of the impact of a life-skills education
programme which intended to bring about attitudinal and behavioural changes in
young women and men in matters related to their health and in gender roles and
norms. We find that the programme has made a deep impression in the minds of
its participants, and helped them in achieving greater self-confidence in managing
their lives and in taking autonomous decisions despite being in a social setting
where young people are not allowed to voice their opinions freely. Clearly much
has been learnt also in matters related to health, especially around menstruation
and substance abuse.
In terms of adopting gender-equal behaviour, it is encouraging to note that both
women and men have internalized what is meant by gender-equal behaviour and
do not seem opposed to it. Changes are being implemented in areas where tnese
are relatively simpler - for example, in sharing household chores. Changes in
sexual and reproductive behaviour are likely to be much more difficult. There are
also many barriers to their practicing what they believe, especially as young
people. Being female also imposes additional obstacles to behaving as equal
persons to men.
Nevertheless, we believe that the changes that have begun are promising, and with
continued efforts, could bring about greater gender equality in these communities.
An important lesson learnt is that continued and sustained efforts are needed,
lasting for several decades, before substantial change can be seen. Time-bound
projects operating over short durations of three or four years may not do justice to
the enormous task at hand.
14
TABLES
Table A
Years^ elapsed since attending Life skills education workshops
q
No. Of Years
Total
Female
Male
elapsed
1
1
0
_______1
2
3
5
______ 2
8
15
3
7
4
5
6
Not reported
Total
6
5
11
4
0
0
20
2
6
I
4
21
20
40
If
Table B
Socio economic demographic profile of study participants
MEN
VARIABLES
In school
AGE
___________ <=16
__________ 17-19
__________ 20-22
__________ 23-25
_______ 26 and above
._____MEAN
EDUCATION
No Schooling
1 - 5
6 - 8
9 - 10
__________ 11 - 12
WOMEN
Total
In school
Out school
7_
7
3
3
3
£
£
4
3
3
18
2
1
21.6
19.8
1
£
3
£
2
1
0_
7_
3
£
£
1
1
Out school
3
16.3
2
5
24.9
2
5
20.06
6
5
0
1
0
11
4
£
£
1
graduation A above
Total
10
11
9
4
6
7_
2
RELIGION
Hindu
10
10
Christian
Not reported
20
0
0
£
3
3_
2
11
4
5
17
6
8
14
3
3
1
4
0
1
1
2
£
4_
CASTE
Dalit'
7
Others'
3
10
________ Not reported
OCCUPATION_________
__________ Studying
________ Not working
______ Company salaried
Agri wage
£
£
£
£
£
1
3
__________ Singer
A_
4_
4
6
1
4
11
3
1
1
1
5
2
0
______ Literacy Teacher
£
£
_ ________ Business
FAMILY TYPE_________
2
£
2
0
2
5_
£
5
14
6
2
1
5
4
11
9
4
4
4
4
8
10
6
16
6
6
12
Land owned
8
5
13
6
2
8
Landless
2
5
7
4
8
12
MEAN OF HOUSE HOLD SIZE
4.3
7.1
5.7
4.4
5.4
4.9
TOTAL
10
10
20
10
10
20
__________ Nuclear
Joint
MARITAL STATUS
Married
Unmarried
LAND OWNING STATUS
It
S.No
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Table C
Topics which were most useful
_________ Topics/matters_________ Males
Marriage and expectations from life
3
____________ partner_____________
7
________ STb, HIV-AIOS_________
________ Substance abuse_________4
0
Reproductive track infection
_____ Learning about our bodies_____ 3
______ Violence against women______ 4
_________Status of women________ T
Self confidence/ Assertiveness
io
______ Gender equality -roles______ 4
Relationship with the opposite sex and
_____________ elders_____________
4
2
Menstrual Health and Hygiene
________ Health and Hygiene_______ 2
Common diseases and Home Remedies
2
20
Total participants
Females I Total
£
2
3_
2
i
J
7
8
4
T
6
5
6
2
17
8
7
10
5
4
20
11
12
7
6
40
Table 0
With whom did you share the information
S.No _____ Persons to share
Males
_ L ___ Spouse______
_ 2 ___ Friends______
_ 2 ___ Parents______
2
17
4. ___ Siblings______
5.
Neighbours and others
3
2
2
Total participants
20
Females
1
15
8
8
4
20
Total
3
32
11
10
6
40
17
ANNEX 1
WORKSHOP PLAN FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS
XILV! VVCULvxMA*.
Workshop!
Workshop 2
Workshop 3
<-o RTTWQPC
VV*
• w
and
- -----------
the
--
"Life Skills Education
Programme".
Self-introduction by facilitators and students
Speaking before a group (exercise)
Collective/democratic functioning in groups (simulation game:
"FLOODS", about a household deciding what to take with them
when escaping from flooding into their houses)
Base-line assessment of students' views and knowledge about
themselves and their bodies
Self-awareness (exercise on wThat I like about myself and in what
ways I would like to
My appearance, myself: Reflective exercises for appreciating one's
strengths and (becoming aware of and) coming to terms with one's
wealmesses/ limitations
Learning about our bodies :discussion in small groups, based on the
book "Our body and its functioning", published by RUWSEC . This
is followed by a question-answer session
Workshop 4
Friendships, and other relationships that matter to us ( exercise)
Dealing with/resolving conflict with parents and significant adults
Gender roles (opinion poll, and discussion based on it)
Workshop 5
Relationships with the opposite sex: romantic and platonic
Exercises in evolving one's own norms on appropriate behaviour;
deciding how far to go in a romantic relationship; learning to say no
Workshop 6
Session 7
Session 8
Vacation Workshop 1
Marriage, and expectations from the life partner (for girls)
Responsible sexuality (for girls)
Dealing with bullying and peer pressure (for boys)
Sexual abuse and Rape: high risk situations and self-help strategies
(for girls)
Thinking and planning positively for one's future
Evaluation of the course (students' self-evaluation and
questionnaire and interview-based assessment by facilitators)
More about our bodies, contraception and abortion (for girls)
Gender relations (for boys)
Vacation Workshop 2 Violence against women; Suicide Prevention (for boys and girls)
■
Acknowledgement
We would like to take this opportunity to express our most sincere and grateful
thanks to the Ford Foundation for funding the study. We also take this
opportunity to express our gratitude to all the women and men who so willingly
gave their time and shared their views. A special takes to the staff involved in
life skills education nroeramme. and research team without their commitment
and dedication, this paper would not have been possible.
X
1
*— *
*
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