The health of adolescent girls is a vital aspect of our growth story

News: According to the UNICEF, 23 million girls drop out of school every year when they start menstruating, and 102 million girls are married off before the age of 15 in India. Further, 54.1% of adolescent girls, aged 15-19, are anaemic, with a slightly higher incidence in rural areas.

What are the potential challenges faced by adolescent girls?

An inter-generational cycle of poverty: When an anaemic teen girl gets drop-out of school and becomes a teen mother, most likely with an infant with higher morbidity. It is worse if she delivers a girl child. She will have no voice against domestic violence, and discrimination and have a lack of opportunity for her and her daughter. Thus, the vicious cycle of poverty is inherited by the next generation.

Government schemes focus on welfare alone: The government has launched various flagship programmes, such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, Poshan Abhiyaan and Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram. These programmes focus on the education and health of girls and women. However, the focus of most schemes remains largely on welfare and not on sustainable solutions.

Entrapment in multiple channels: The government offers many schemes and beneficial programmes, beneficiaries usually get stuck and are not able to avail what has been constructed for their benefit.

For instance, Women’s reproductive health and access to micronutrients resides with the National Health Mission, vocational skilling with the district’s skilling centre, and education with the education department.

What should be done to address the challenges faced by adolescent girls?

Create sustainable solutions: The government must build collaborative, multipronged approaches to address deep-rooted mindsets and discriminatory societal norms.

Hyper-local role models: Various non-government organizations are innovating ways to address gender discrimination and create role models for local young women to spark a mindset change within communities. Hence, the government need to promote hyper-local role models.

Increase the participation of men: Men who want to come forward need to emerge within local communities as advocates of a woman’s fundamental rights. So that young women emerge with their support.

Conduct adequate research: Research forms the bedrock of behaviour change programmes. The government and not-for-profit players can leverage research for behaviour transformations across India and implement focused interventions at the last mile.

India needs to change the deep-rooted practices that act as barriers to empowering adolescent girls. Because by empowering adolescent girls, an entire nation can be empowered within this decade.

Source: The post is based on the article “The health of adolescent girls is a vital aspect of our growth story” published in Live mint on 30^th May 2022.