Community Mobilization to Combat Sex Selection

and Establish Dignity for the Girl Child

A Study Report

Conducted by Dr. Meeta Singh

August-November 2008

INTRODUCTIONCensus of India 2001

• Rajasthan state ranks 7th in all India ranking

• Girl Child Sex Ratio in Rajasthan:

1981: 9541991: 9162001: 909

Goals of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM):

-Population Stabilization-Gender and Demographic Balance

Research Question/Objective

What is the community’s perception regarding the intervention of Community Based Response (CBR) Groups ?

What are the difference in attitudes about the Girl Child in the villages of Sri Ganganagar, Rajasthan where CBR Groups were formed compared to villages where CBR Groups were not formed, between January 2007 and June 2008?

Obj: Assess change in attitude(if any)towards the birth of girl child , sex selection , opinions regarding the girl child and socially established discriminatory practices

InterventionThe NGO URMUL with suppt from IFES & USAID

in Jan 2006 initiated a CBR intervention in SriGanganagar to sensitise communities through formation of CBR groups also called mixed groups by the community.

Why did Urmul initiate the intervention in Sri Ganganagar?

-lowest CSR (850 girls to 1000 boys) in Rajasthan (2001 Census)

-ranks number 1 in Human Development Index (HDI) (ref: Directorate of Economic and Statistics, Government of Rajasthan )

-most prosperous district in Rajasthan (in terms of per capita income) the “food basket of Rajasthan”

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12-25 members of a village sensitized on various aspects of sex selection, declining CSR and value of Girl Child

- ASHAs, Angan Wari Workers and Panchayat members are also members of the CBR groups along with men,women,adolescents.

- CBRs exert peer pressure vs sex selection by awareness, vigil and pro. counseling

What do the CBRs do?

What do the CBRs do?

• The CBRs work towards eliminating discriminatory social practices

• The group meets every month and takes up various issues like celebration of births of girls , immunization, education, rallies and events, felicitating new born baby girls,

What do the CBRs do?(contd)

• Encouraging the priests to include an additional eighth vow against sex selection , liaising with the block and district authorities to organize events on national days, supporting girls who perform last rites of their parents and working closely with VHSCs,ICDS, and schemes of the Government .

MethodologyStudy Area: Sri Ganganagar district,

Rajasthan, India3000 villages . (Case : Villages with intervention 30) (Control: Remaining 2970 villages)Identification of Villages: 6 villages

selected (3 with intervention, 3 without intervention for control)

Identification of Stakeholders: Purposive sampling

Stakeholders selected for the study:

1. Community Members:-Women who delivered/were

pregnant in last 18 months

-Adolescents-Adult Men2. CBR Group members3. Local Leaders-Religious,

Community, Opinion Makers

4. Local NGO5. Media

Data Collection Methodology

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs): 15 Conducted with:-Adolescents-Adult men-Members of CBR groupsIn Depth Interviews (IDIs): 27 Conducted with:-Village leaders-Women who had delivered/were pregnant in last 18

months

Tools : Questionnaires for FGD and IDI

Caste Distribution Case villages • Village 1 Mixed population of Hindus - Bishnois, Jats(Yadavs), schedule castes

and Sikhs(both Jat and Majbi), • Vilage 2 Mainly Sikhs (Jat and Majbi) • Village 3 Mainly Hindu Punjabis and Sikhs with a mix of upper and lower

castes. Control villages • Village 1 Mainly Jat Sikh with few Majbi families• Village 2 Mix of Jat and Majbi Sikhs • Village 3 Mix of Hindus (Charans, Rajputs, Baniyas and Scheduled Castes) with few Sikh families. Both sets of villages showed a marked presence of the Sikh population (higher

caste Jat Sikhs and the relatively lower caste Majbi).

Findings

• Pollution to Celebration• Burden to aspiration• Denial and collusion to Social sensitization

and sensitive action• Resistance to acceptance through sensitive

positive action

Findings

• Pollution to celebrationIn control village:“When a boy is born we celebrate like we do

for weddings with choonchak and jalwa pujan but for girls there is no celebration; only a simple puja (worship ritual) to purify the house after delivery.”(woman from community)

Findings contd. Pollution to celebration

In case village:• “As members of mixed group, we decided

that in our village we must celebrate birth of girls; 60-70 people got together, contributed and we bought mithai (sweets). We also beat the metal plate and celebrated.”

Private Resistance to Public celebration (case village)

• “One family objected to our celebrating the birth of a daughter. So we celebrated in the Village Library. Next time another daughter was born in that family and they invited us. Now every girl’s birth is celebrated.”(school teacher- community leader)

Private Joy to community/family lamentation(control village)

• “My daughter was born in my mother’s home . I was so happy I just held her close to my heart, hugged her and kissed her. My mother pampered me but she did not beat the thali. When I returned to my in law’s place with the baby they were not so happy because she was a girl. I also felt sad initially but I love my daughter very much and I don’t care. My husband supports me.”

Burden to Aspiration

• “Neighbours shy away from visiting if a baby girl is born. She is referred to as ‘bhata’ (a stone/ burden). Those who do come, come to lament and offer sympathy.”

• (woman from control village)

Burden to Aspiration

• Resource/ aspiration (case village):• “These people (NGO rep)come and take

meetings and tell us why girls are important. I want my daughter to become a teacher when she grows up. She will bring us fame.”

• “Though I got married at a very early age and did not get any education my daughter will be married only after 20.”

Denial and collusion to Sensitive Action

• Denial:“No we do not go for these tests. But if somebody keeps getting daughters should they not get one son at least.” (woman from control village)

• CBR group members take up social sensitization through sensitive action

• Consciousness to the issue and a deliberate attempt at sensitive counselling

Sensitive action

• “Of course we get to know when a woman is pregnant. We also get to know if family is pressurizing for sex detection. Woman cannot go before 3 – 3 & 1/2mths. Secret leaks out. We get to know in 95% of the cases. And then we go to their house and talk. Talk with husband and family that this is not to be done. We have an RMP doctor in our group, he also counsels.” (CBR)

• “If nobody goes for SD doctors shops will close. After all, when people stop buying then shopkeeper has no choice but shut shop”.

Opinions regarding family composition(case village)

• “ I feel very angry. In the hope of a boy they (families in the village) keep having daughters. When they have daughters they do not like to show their faces, they feel ashamed. Tell me what is there to feel ashamed? I have one daughter and I am happy ,my husband and I have decided whether second child is son or daughter we will go for operation (family planning)” (CBR member)

Thematic AreasWelcome accorded to the

newborn:-Both case and control

villages have difference for boy and girl child

-Case villages trends are changing when a girl is born

-Case villages girl not as much of burden. Seen as resources

-Control villages mindsets remain unchanged regarding birth of girls

Sex Detection and Selective Abortion (SSA):In

-Case villages, appears to be a downtrend as perceived by the community

-Case villages doctors refusing sex detection as stated by the people in the case villages

-Control villages claimed to be aware but denied it occurring in their village

Threats and Limitations -History Effect

-Contamination

-Danger of politically correct responses

Mechanisms of change

• Letters to clinics from the Panchayats asking to stop immediately

• Congratulatory letters to parents of new born babies from the District Collector,

• CBR group members are vigilant ,proactive , sensitive and conscious to the issue

• Constant re-enforcement and motivation with the community (ownership/sustainability)

•

Additional Efforts Suggested

-Adolescents suggest continued awareness building

-CBR activity meetings in evenings for max. participation

- Integrate with VHSCs to incorporate the issue of dignity of girl child

- Adm support in welcome of girl child as a state initiative

Conclusions

-Community Mobilization appears to be a good strategy in helping to change mindsets

-Community initiatives critical for environment building

-CBR work results in millennia old practices challenged

CBR interventions have made positive difference in knowledge, practice, and attitudes, but momentum to be sustained &expanded

A BIG THANK YOU

Drs Abhijit,Amy,Peter, Univ of Washington, UNFPA and the CHSJ Family……… Manodeep,Gitanjali...

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