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Comprehensive Civil Society Response to Accelerate Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People in India

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Overview

SRHR India Alliance is an initiative that works towards a society free of poverty in which all women and men, girls and boys, and marginalized groups have the same rights irrespective of their ethnic, cultural and religious background, age and gender. SRHR Alliance India comprises of Bihar Voluntary Health Association (BVHA), Child in Need Institute (CINI), Network for Enterprise Enhancement and Development Support (NEEDS), Restless Development, and Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI).

About the Programme

“Comprehensive Civil Society Response to Accelerate Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Young People in India” envisages amplifying the reach of the child marriage reduction initiatives of SRHR India Alliance. This includes communicating and networking with key stakeholders – NGOs, media, community members, development professionals and Government officials to create greater awareness and to address the legal, cultural and normative factors that influence child marriages.

As part of SRHR India Alliance, VHAI aims at measurably improving the organisational capacity and leadership of 40 CSOs (12 existing CSO partners and 28 new CSO partners in Odisha) and 50 youth leaders to reach out to a wide range of stakeholders resulting in a strong, inclusive movement for comprehensive YSRHR and reducing barriers at individual, family, social and systemic level. VHAI is implementing the programme with its CSOs partners in 5 Districts of Odisha, namely, Bolangir, Sonepur, Rayagada, Kalahandi and Ganjam.

VHAI is a member of four important national and state level alliances- Girls Not Brides, NGO forum of Odisha Commission for Protection of Child Rights, National Action and Coordination Group for Ending Violence Against Children and the Odisha Alliance for Child Rights for raising field level issues and challenges at national, state and district level on a regular basis.

Key Objectives

Key Thematic Areas

  • Mitigate gender-based violence
  • Increase access to comprehensive reproductive health services
  • Promote sexual reproductive health and rights
  • Promote an enabling environment for women and rights
  • Strengthen child protection mechanisms
  • Reduce stigma, discrimination, stereotypes
  • Build alliances at district and state levels on SRHR and Child Marriage

Core Activities

  • Strengthening capacity of partner civil society organisations on SRHR issues and prevention of child marriage.
  • Capacitating youth volunteers from 40 partner CSOs on Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health.
  • Improving access to SRHR service delivery.
  • Networking and laisioning with key stakeholder and government departments.
  • Awareness generation among the local community on SRHR and child marriage prevention.

Current Updates

Voluntary Health Association of India organized a state level consultation workshop under the project Amplify Change on 9th February 2021 in Bhubaneswar with an objective to develop a way forward to promote SRHR, combat child marriage and also to develop a road map for convergence with important stakeholders in addressing these issues during the post COVID-19 times. Further, a future course of action for the State SRHR Alliance was also developed in the workshop. A total of over 37 participants from 34 partner CSOs participated, who shared a few best practices from at the field and addressed the issues and challenges they faced during COVID-19 pandemic.

The programme was inaugurated by Ms. Divya Saswati, representative Odisha State Commission for Protection of Child Rights in the presence of Shri Dhiren Pattnaik, Retd. IAS, Shri K.K. Swain, Secretary- OVHA, Mr. Jose Thomas and Mr. Mahip Kumar from SRHR India Alliance. Under the Amplify Change Project, VHAI is working as SRHR Alliance India partner in 5 districts of Odisha in collaboration with 40 local CSO partner.

Partner CSOs initiatives

  • Facilitate health education session in adolescent groups
  • Promote media coverage on SRHR/Child marriage organised by partner CSOs
  • Advocacy initiatives on SRHR and child protection issues with PRI members/Government officials/Community Leaders
  • Awareness generation programme on Child marriage through SHG and other CBOs at village and Gram Panchayat level
  • Sensitization programme for VHSC members on child marriage and other SRHR issues.
  • School Health Programme
  • Strengthening PLHA network in western Odisha (7 Districts)
  • Regularization of GPCPC and sensitization programme for PRI members on child marriage and child protection.
  • Orientation session for ASHA and AWW on Adolescent Friendly Health services and prevention of child marriage.
  • Formation of network for sexual minorities (third gender) at block and district level