The year 2020 has defied all apriori conceptions of normal, changing every aspect of life. Given the recurrent lockdowns, restrictions on travel, social distancing protocols, and the general inhibition to step out in the public realm; almost no sphere of the personal and professional world has remained the same. Social research is among the many […]
Over the last two decades, India and the state of Rajasthan have made strong progress in achieving high enrolment in primary education (ASER 2018). This has enabled greater number of girls to access education. However, despite the progress in primary education, there remain several challenges that affect girls’ secondary education. The report and policy brief […]
The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) in India, launched in 2009, under the stewardship of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), seeks to enable ‘child protection,’ by: Preventing – child labour and trafficking, through identification and support to vulnerable families Promoting family-based care; and ensuring quality care and support in Government institutions Enabling […]
While scaling up has always been desired, it has posed challenges. There have been frameworks and guides on scaling up, such as the MSI framework [1] and tools and techniques for practitioners. In India, too, there has been a focus on scaling up, and “implementation pathways [2]” have been suggested. Nonetheless, scaling up poses challenges. A key challenge […]
Gender based violence stems from deep rooted caste dynamics and power structures. In Madhya Pradesh, a civil society organization has been working since the year 2000 to address the issues of sexual violence against children and women in vulnerable communities. The interventions aim to increase the reporting of cases of sexual violence against children and […]
The Oscars have brought global attention to menstruation once again, emphasising how deeply entrenched social norms about menstruation restrict girls’ freedom and affect their health. One solution offered was sanitary pads. Lauding sanitary pads as the solution to menstrual health and hygiene is not new. The film Pad Man played a pivotal role in spurring conversations around […]
Preeti (name changed), who I called to speak with, has just returned from her tuition class. She is a bright child who is currently studying in 10th grade in D.T.E.A Sr. Secondary School Lakshmi Bai Nagar. She scored 70 percent in her last examinations and stood 4th in her class the year before that. She recently applied […]
Data from the Civil Registration System (CRS), appears to indicate that there is a substantial decline in the sex ratio at birth. The ratio has fallen from 898 in 2013 to 887 in 2014; see http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/Sex-ratio-at-birth-on-the-decline/article16728001.ece. The decline has been sharp since 2011 when the figure was 909[1]. The states of Manipur, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu […]
Disrespectful intrapartum care during facility-based delivery in sub-Saharan Africa: A qualitative systematic review and thematic synthesis of women’s perceptions and experience – http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0277953616305469 This article in the sub Saharan African context analyses the model of maternity care that is increasingly institution centred rather than women centred. Women’s experiences at institutions indicate that institutions and care providers […]
Hysterectomy is a big business in many private hospitals in India. There are ample reports and newspaper articles on this issue. Several media and newspapers including #The Hindu , #Times of India, #Guardian and #BBC have reported on how some of the private health care providers have been exploiting and profiting from it (See http://www.theguardian.com/society/sarah-boseley-global-health/2013/feb/07/india-healthcare?; http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21297606). In fact, it is according to one […]
The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched last year by the Prime Minister is the new mantra of cleanliness (https://swachhbharat.mygov.in/). A very welcome initiative; much has already been written about the campaign. While some have examined why the program is struggling[1]; others have tried to understand the sanitation behaviour in rural north India and the reasons why […]
We, at Development Solutions, are undertaking an assignment with SCORE Foundation, to enable skilling and employment of visually challenged persons across the country[1]. For the assignment, we were examining the data on population, school enrolment, education levels and employment among differently abled persons. A recent article in ‘The Hindu’ reported a reduction in the enrolment of […]
