Through Education

E M P O W E R I N G A D O L E S C E N T S

Through Education

1 Independent Study commissioned by the Government of India, http://www.indiaeducationdiary.in/showlatest.asp?newsid=2522

2 Position paper National Focus Group on Gender Issues in Education, NCERT, 2006

3 Primary school teaching in India consists of 12 grade (classes) levels, where the 1st class begins at the age of around six years and continues till 12th class of around 17 years of age.

4 Age parameters of adolescents are perceived differently by various policies and programmes. The Constitution of India considers people up to the age of 14 as children.

Introduction

iscrimination against the girl child begins even before she

is born. Rampant female foeticide resulting in skewed sex

ratio in some parts of the country leads to trafficking of

young girls from other regions. Gender based oppression begins

in the family, is reinforced by the community and is often

protected by the political and administrative framework of the

state. Is it any wonder then, that the girl child finds it difficult to

find her space in the educational system of the country? Social

exclusion is especially evident in girls from marginalised

communities. The number of out-of-school children decreased

from 1,35,00,000 in 2005 to 81,00,000 in 2009 and the

Government of India has credited this improvement due to the 1 NPE and programmes like Mahila Samakhya and the KGBV.

However, the dropout rates of girls, specially from the

marginalised sections of society and the rural areas continue to

be abysmal - 9 out of every 10 girls enrolled in school do not

complete schooling, and only 1 out of every 100 girls enrolled in 2 Class I reaches Class XII in rural areas. The Right of Children to

Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, provides for

the rights of children between the ages of 6 to14 years, to free

and compulsory admission, to attendance and to completion of

education. Like most policy debates on girl's education, even this

progressive legislation falls into the trap of focussing only on 3school systems and thereby correlating age with grade. A profile

of out-of-school girls shows that most of them are either too old to

join primary school or too young to join adult literacy camps and

remain content with functional literacy for the rest of their lives

(Ramachandran, 2004). Enrolment of girls from marginalised

communities, by itself is a challenge, which is further

compounded by the phenomenon of dropping out, especially in

the higher grades. Inaccessibility, financial constraints of the

families, sibling-care, engagement in economic activities to

supplement family income, and difficult and unfamiliar academic

curriculum are some of the causes that often push marginalised

girls out of school. Traditional social norms and beliefs such as

early marriage further keep girls away from education. There is

also a concern for the physical and moral safety of the girl child,

which does not

permit travel for long

distances to school

everyday, especially

in areas with high

crime rates (Sinha,

2006). Adolescent 4girls are therefore

structurally and

culturally excluded

from the learning

opportunities

available in the

country.

However, reaching

schools, by itself

does not translate

into empowerment

for girls. The

pedagogy, language,

images in textbooks,

stereotypical roles

given to girls and

boys, and the perceptions of teachers reinforces patriarchy and

creates boundaries. Consequently, there is a need to re-imagine

education away from its current instruction based, information-

oriented form of rote learning founded on a hierarchical,

patriarchal, and fear based relationship between the teacher and

student. Rather, it should be a process that liberates adolescent

girls from their own internalised oppression. Education, if

understood in a broad sense, essentially involves opening the

minds, enhancing self-esteem and self-confidence, building a

sense of positive self-worth, accessing information and tools of

D

E M P O W E R I N G A D O L E S C E N T S

107

discussions with 57 girls and boys brought to light, the activities

and achievements of the collectives. Focus group discussions

were held with 72 MS district and state staff to understand the

genesis, process, mobilisation strategies and monitoring

mechanisms of these practices. A total of 30 external

stakeholders including SSA coordinators and NGO

representatives were interviewed for their perspective on the

usefulness of these practices. Field visits, interviews and focus

group discussions were supplemented by secondary data

analysis of MS reports from all nine states and other literature.

MS has consciously followed a two-pronged strategy to empower

adolescents: a residential, curriculum based, learning centre

model, which had the primary aim of mainstreaming drop out and

'never-enrolled' girls to school. The Mahila Shikshan Kendras

and the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalayas are manifestations of

this strategy. Taking this model a step further, MSKs for prisoners

and for sexually abused girls have also evolved, with suitable

modifications to fit the context. The other strategy was to

facilitate the formation of collectives where adolescents get the

opportunity to reflect on their life, analyse issues, question the

status quo and even challenge patriarchal norms. The Kishori

Mancha is a forum for girls while the Bala Sangham is formed by

a group of girls and boys together. In the middle of the spectrum

lies the Jagjagi Kendras which are complementary to both

models, where they exist. Jagjagi Kendras follow a curriculum

and aim to mainstream drop out girls into school, but at the same

time are deeply rooted in the community where the sangha takes

the role of running this village institution.

The Mahila Shikshan Kendras are residential learning centres

Description of the Practices

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

5 Ramachandran, Vimala Literacy and Education, Economic and Political Weekly, 25 November, 2006.

6 Pedagogy is the study of being a teacher or the process of teaching. The term generally refers to strategies of instruction, or a style of instruction. Http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy

knowledge and acquiring the ability (the collective strength) to

negotiate this unequal and unjust world from a position of

strength. Education, seen in this light, goes beyond literacy and 5schooling.

In the sangha (women's collectives), women had created an

alternative collective space where they could share experiences

of discrimination, poverty and violence, critically analyse power

structures, raise consciousness of patriarchy and unlearn their

own subordination. Excluding adolescent girls from such an

empowering process is an opportunity lost. Thus different

practices were designed to include adolescent girls in the

education for empowerment framework. Mobilised sangha

women support and sustain these forward-looking innovations

with the dream of a better life for their daughters. Intro2.jpg

Five practices were examined across the six states of Andhra

Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Kerala, and Uttar Pradesh,

with field visits to ten districts in five of these states.

(See Table 7.1).

Table: 7.1

Bala Sangham Andhra Pradesh Karimnagar Warangal

Jagjagi Kendra Bihar Muzaffarpur Sitamarhi

KGBV Uttar Pradesh Saharanpur Sitapur

Kishori Mancha Assam Dhubri Goalpara

Mahila Shikshan Bihar Muzaffarpur Sitamarhi

Kendra Jharkhand Ranchi Saraikela

Focus group discussions with teachers provided insights about

the teaching methodology, curriculum and challenges in running

the Mahila Shikshan Kendras (MSKs) and Kasturba Gandhi

Balika Vidyalayas (KGBVs). Interviews with 219 current students

and girls who had completed the course gave a clear indication of

the impact of the practice. Experts on education were invited to

analyse the textbooks and curriculum, and to observe sessions of 6the classroom in KGBV to understand how pedagogy was

modified to give a gender perspective to the students. The

experts also provided pointers to be observed, in a classroom

scenario in MSKs as well. The research team visited the Central

Jail in Ranchi to understand the functioning of MSKs in jails. In

the case of Kishori Manchas and Bala Sanghams, focus group

Methodology

States and Districts for Study of MS

Adolescent Initiatives

Practice State District 1 District 2

MSK girls at Banka District, Bihar

108

donate some portion of their house to serve as the Jagjagi centre.

Thus, this 'school' becomes one completely owned by the

women.

“An offshoot of Mahila Sangha, the Kishori Mancha is a cadre of

second-generation change agents, positioned at the middle with

its arms towards women on the one side and children on the 11other” During sangha meetings daughters often accompanied

their mothers and would discuss issues with them. Sangha

women while analysing the causes for their deprivation, attribute

early marriage, as the primary reason for various physical and

mental problems they faced in later years. To ensure that their

daughters do not go through the same difficulties that they

themselves had undergone, they recognized the need for a forum

to raise consciousness among their daughters. So the Kishori

Mancha emerged as a platform where young girls could voice

their concerns and become aware of their rights. In a Kishori

Mancha, young girls (Kishoris) from all sections including drop out

girls, college girls, and domestic labourers attend the meetings

and share their problems with each other.

Bala Sanghams were born in 2001 when boys in Andhra

Pradesh espoused their eagerness to be part of the collective and

jointly address adolescent issues. The members of Bala

Sanghams include girls and boys in the age range of 10-18 years.

Younger boys between the ages of 10 to16 and girls between 10

to18 years are selected intentionally to reduce domination of boys

within the group.

While the primary objective of the MSK and KGBV is to provide

education to adolescent girls who were unable to attend

Objectives

for women and girls, mostly above the age of 14, especially for

those who have never enrolled in schools or for drop outs. The

MS document states, “In recognition of the extreme dearth of

innovative women-centred educational facilities in rural areas,

Mahila Samakhya will try and set up a Mahila Shikshan Kendra

(Women's Education Centre) in each district.” MSKs are

designed based on the “accelerated learning” format, which

enables a child to learn at a fast pace covering several grades in 7a short period of 7 to 18 months.

The success of MSKs in bringing back drop-out and never-

enrolled girls and women into the ambit of regular education has

encouraged the introduction of Kasturba Gandhi Balika

Vidyalayas which are formal residential schools providing

opportunities to women and girls from marginalised and poor

families to continue education up to upper primary level after 8completing basic education in MSKs. The KGBV scheme was

launched nationwide as a flagship programme under Sarva

Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in 2004. According to SSA guidelines

“the scheme will be implemented by State Governments through

the Mahila Samakhya (MS) Society in MS states and through the 9SSA society in case of the other states.” Special KGBV schools

for girls from minority communities are set up in areas where the

demographic structure comprises more than 50 percent of

population belonging to minority communities. MS adheres to the

enrolment guidelines of KGBV as formulated by SSA. Mahila thSamakhya in Uttar Pradesh (UP) started its first KGBV on 15

August, 2006. At present out of a total number of 454 KGBVs

functioning in the state, 33 are run by MS. There are four KGBVs

with 50 learners, while the remaining KGBVs run by MS have 100

learners each. There are about eleven KGBVs that are meant for

girls from the Muslim minority. Recently, MS has started KGBVs

in urban areas of Deoband, Balrampur and Bulandshahar mainly

to cater to Muslim girls.

Jagjagi Kendras (JJK), set up around the same time in Bihar as

non-residential learning centres located at the village level, and

managed by the sanghas (known as samoohs in Bihar and

Jharkhand) enabled younger girls from remote locations to

access education in their own locality. The demand from the

samooh is crucial in setting up a Jagjagi Kendra since the

samooh women are responsible for the entire management such

as selection of teacher, managing the payment of honorarium to 10the saheli , stationary allocation and monitoring of JJK. A single

Jagjagi Kendra caters to 15-20 girls. JJK classes are held daily

for three to four hours. One term of JJK is for three years. The

venue is mostly the courtyard of an inhabitant or a public place in

the village. In several instances, one samooh woman would

7 Vimla Ramchandran: Fostering Opportunities to Learn at An Accelerated Pace: Why Do Girls Benefit Enormously (link: downloaded on 27-9-10).

8 MS UP PowerPoint presentation downloaded on 01-09-2010, http://www.ashanet.org/projects/project-view.php?p=743

9 Guidelines_KGBV_revised_2008-09, p:2, http://www.education.nic.in/elementary/Guidelines_of_KGBP.pdf

10 Saheli here refers to a teacher in the Jagjagi Kendra.11 Assam Mahila Samata Society, (AMSS), Annual Report (2008).

Jagjagi Kendra girls at centre in Banka District, Bihar

109

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

number of its adolescent related educational institutions and their

participants. Being one of the flagship programmes of MS, MSKs

have now spread across most states where MS is operational.

Chart 7.1 indicates the number of MSKs across the states with

the highest number in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh

in 2009-10. MS operates 140 KGBVs in the country, the highest

concentration being in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. At present in

Uttar Pradesh where KGBVs were studied, 33 out of a total

number of 454 KGBVs functioning in the state are run by MS.

An exceptional growth in number of the adolescent fora is

witnessed in Andhra Pradesh, Assam and Bihar (Chart 7.2). The

number of Bala Sanghams has tripled in Andhra Pradesh in the

last five years with the highest growth rate witnessed in 2009-10

at 59 percent. Likewise, the growth of Kishori Manchas has

grown steadily in Assam over a five year period with the largest

number of 1,185 Kishori Manchas registered in June 2010. Bihar

has shown consistent growth over the years with a 59 percent

mainstream school, an equally significant objective is to prepare

girls as role models who would take forward the MS ideology.

The MSKs and KGBVs (run by MS) both aim to remove social,

cultural and systemic hurdles that deny girls access to education.

The institutions also strive to remove gender based barriers of the

mind, inculcated through experiences of discrimination and

oppression in their own families and communities. The

residential nature of these schools enable drop-out girls to focus

on the curriculum offered, and at the same time, offer the extra

academic help and support needed to equip them and catch up

with others in such a short time frame.

Jagjagi Kendras give educational inputs to young girls in the

community. The additional objective of these learning centres is

to sensitise girls on gender issues and rights and thereby begin

the process of empowerment. Thus, while MS began with the

education for empowerment framework, sangha women have

operationalised that philosophy through the Jagjagi Kendras.

The primary objective of the Kishori Mancha and the Bala

Sangham is to promote second generation leadership among the

adolescent groups. While the girls in Kishori Mancha, Assam use

this platform to openly discuss issues such as prevention of child

marriage and trafficking, the boys and girls in Andhra Pradesh

pay special attention to children working as child labourers. Both

groups are sensitised on child rights, and their members take

proactive roles to get dropout children back into school even

providing financial and other support to continue with their

education. Through adolescent boys and girls, MS ascertains

that the second generation is gender sensitive, can recognise

gender discrimination in their families and community, and take

preventive as well as corrective measures to stop those activities.

In recent years, MS has witnessed a substantial increase in the

National Portrait of MS Adolescent Initiatives

Chart 7.1: Number of MSK and MS run KGBVs Across States

Sta

tes

Number

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Andhra Pradesh

Assam

Bihar

Gujarat

Jharkhand

Karnataka

Kerala

Uttarakhand

Uttar Pradesh

16

9

2267

29

33

11

12

4 8

7

16

Number of MSKs Number of KGBVs

Chart 7.2: Number of Jagjagi Kendras, Kishori Manchas and Bala Sanghams

Nu

mb

er

Year

1800

1600

1400

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

02006 20082007 2009 2010

1276

1104

1526 1650

1408

875 962

1040

1092 1185

557 738

934

1030

1633

Bala SanghamsJagjagi Kendras Kishori Manchas

MSK girls in Jharkhand

110

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

Activities

The activities of MSK and KGBV begin with identifying drop out

girls and sensitising their family about the importance of

education. The Sahayogini, sangha and federation women play a

vital role in this process through door to door campaigns. In Uttar

Pradesh the help of community leaders is sought to mobilise

families from minority communities to send their girls to KGBVs.

Once admitted, the girls go through an orientation process for 15

days in their respective institutions. This is a period when the

teachers and learners get to know each other. It is in these two

weeks that the girls face maximum difficulty in adjusting to the

disciplined environment of a residential learning centre. While

MSKs in Bihar engage the girls in discussions, games and songs, 12KGBVs in UP have developed the Readiness Programme which

helps the girls to build confidence, encourage creativity and

create an environment conducive to teaching and learning. The

two-week Readiness Programme encourages learners from

different milieu to share their family backgrounds to develop a

sense of camaraderie. The use of poems, songs, storytelling,

discussions on newspaper articles, and theatre enables learners

to express themselves in different ways and overcome shyness.

They are also encouraged to sketch, draw rangolis (decorative

designs on the floor), make cards, dolls, dhurries (heavy cotton

floor mats), bags and baskets. Since learners have different

abilities, offering a range of creative activities enables them to

express their inherent talent and skills. Playing games, singing

songs and working together makes learners feel comfortable at

the KGBV and also with each other. As part of the programme,

girls are asked to share and write about themselves. All these

details are maintained by KGBVs in the form of profiles. This

helps teachers to understand the girls and relate to those in

difficult circumstances. The actual academic session begins only

after the orientation phase.

12 Developed by MS with support from IGNUS, a resource agency in UP

increase in the number of Jagjagi Kendras across project districts

from 2009 to 2010 alone.

Looking at the number of participants, in 2009-10 a total of 10,191

girls and women have graduated from MSKs across all states,

with Bihar leading at 4,391 graduates (Chart 7.3). An impressive

rise in membership of Bala Sanghams is observed in the five year

period from 2006-10 peaking at 64 percent in 2010 where

membership increased from 27,231 to 44,718 participants (Chart

7.4). This increase in numbers of Bala Sanghams and its

membership can be explained by the growing demand in new

districts and new mandals. Existing Bala Sanghams had to

accommodate more members where average membership grew

from 19 in 2006 to 24 in 2007 alone.

Chart 7.3: Number of girls passed from MSKs and MS run KGBVs across states

Sta

tes

Number

0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000

Andhra Pradesh

Assam

Bihar

Gujarat

Jharkhand

Karnataka

Kerala

Uttarakhand

Uttar Pradesh

2320

273

4391814

649

631

576

2406

65 120

159

457

Girls passed out from MSKs Girls passed out from KGVBs

Chart 7.4: Number of members in Bala Sanghams, Kishori Manchas and passed-outs from Jagjagi Kendras

Nu

mb

er

Year

45000

40000

35000

30000

25000

20000

15000

10000

5000

02006 20082007 2009 2010

20522 25369

27539 29138 31673

10536 17854

22797

27231

107125836

5346

818111952

44718

Girls who graduatefrom Jagjagi Kendras

Bala Sangham members

Kishori Sangha members

MSK students practice yoga in Bhojpur District, Bihar

111

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

The KGBV learners begin their day with physical exercise and/or

yoga, followed by assembly. The actual classes are held

between 8 am and 4 pm. Learners are encouraged to study on

their own and revise what has been taught. Learners are given

free time in the evening to play, relax or read. This is called 'man

ka samay' (time for freely chosen activities), where the learner

chooses to spend her free time in the way that she thinks best.

Through its focus on co-curricular activities, MS has been able to

introduce summer camps where non conventional courses are

offered which allow adolescent girls to break away from gender

stereotypes, and acquire new skills that can be applied by them

at an appropriate age when seeking livelihood options.

In Bihar, the regular MSKs run for a period of eight months while

short term MSKs are covered in 15 to 30 days. In regular MSKs,

Hindi, Mathematics, Social Science and General Knowledge are

taught as subjects, with separate time allotted for life-skills,

cultural and sports activities. Cultural activities are planned for

Sunday nights where the girls show their talent and also have fun.

The short-term MSKs are need-based focusing on Mathematics,

English and other special courses. Teaching at MSKs is

conducted in the 'accelerated learning' mode where only selected

portions of regular textbooks from government schools are taught

to the girls. The idea behind this is that the girls will get a glimpse

of the topics taught to the students over five years from class I to

class V, and master only those topics that are essential for

furthering their education. One month before admissions to

mainstream schools, the MSK girls are provided higher level

information on subjects like geography and history needed to

qualify in the entrance tests.

Mobilising girls to join the Jagjagi Kendra (although it is located at

the centre of the village) is difficult in backward areas, where the

community is not comfortable with the girls clapping and singing

together, let alone educating them. In such cases MS

functionaries take the mothers to other centres to meet with

students and to see how the classes are conducted so that they

can see the benefits of getting their daughters educated.

Contrary to the scenario described above where girls are taken to

residential learning centres to further their academic pursuits,

members of Kishori Manchas and Bala Sanghams meet regularly

to discuss their issues, in their own village at a time convenient to

all. MS provides inputs on child rights, gender sensitisation,

vocational trainings and

life skills. Both Bala

Sangham of Andhra

Pradesh and Kishori

Mancha of Assam have

their own funds which

are used to sponsor

dropout children back

into education. Kishori

Manchas run their own

libraries with donated

books. Specific training

on gender, health and

nutrition is also

provided. MS in

Andhra Pradesh

provide vocational

exposure on technical

skills such as book

binding, screen

printing, food

processing and making

woollen handicrafts;

and offer specialised

training under the SSA programme on making zandu balm (pain

balm), detergents, vermi-compost, among others. At schools,

Bala Sangham members share this learning with their peers. MS

in Assam provides regular life-skills training through modules

such as Personal Care and Life-skills Development; while

vocational training in stitching, sewing and tailoring is provided in

collaboration with Nehru Yuva Kendra.

Health awareness is conducted separately for boys and girls of

Bala Sangham, particularly on reproductive health and hygiene.

The training and monthly meetings focus on anaemia,

cleanliness, issues relating to the physiological and emotional

changes that take place during adolescence, menstruation, early

marriage and economic constraints that adolescent girls face

especially related to education. The health training designed with

a life-skills perspective is organised by Village Resource Persons

from the health committees of the sanghams. Youth are

encouraged to grow kitchen gardens in their homes for a

KGBV students engage in making a coloured motiff at Sitapur, UP

MSK girls enact a play

112

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

nutritious diet. The meetings help Kishoris plan strategies to

resolve issues as well as plan income generation activities for

economic sustenance. Kishoris regularly take other girls outside

the Mancha to health centres where they are given iron tablets

and to advocate the use of sanitary napkins. Kishoris with

significant leadership qualities run the Shishu Vikas Kendras in

which children under the age of ten are engaged in extracurricular

activities.

Bala Sangham melas are organised to network with district level

officials, in almost all districts of Andhra Pradesh with the help of

MS. Issues that surface during the melas include lack of access

to senior secondary and higher education centres, in or close to

the village, insufficient information on career opportunities, caste

discrimination, corporal punishment in schools, girl child abuse,

and so on. Bala Panchayats and school cabinets have been

identified as effective strategies to address these concerns.

Warangal and Karimnagar districts have introduced Bala

Panchayats consisting of members from Bala Sangham and

village officials at the cluster level to implement child rights and

reduce child abuse in schools. MS designed a leadership training

course for the Kishoris, and set up motivational camps and

workshops for skills development. MS holds state level

conventions where Kishoris are brought together to share their

experiences and collectively strategise on strengthening the

Kishori Manchas. Thus it is clear that both MS Assam and MS

Andhra Pradesh are focussing on building a second generation of

leaders who are gender sensitive, socially and politically aware

and are ready to engage in collective action as change agents.

MSK has not only succeeded in providing a safe and amicable

environment for drop out girls to pursue their education, it has

also been able to design a curriculum and modules appropriate

for adolescent girls to bridge the gap between their current status

Pedagogy

of semi-literacy and mainstream schools, help girls rethink any

feeling of disempowerment that they may have and most of all

foster a learning environment which would develop their interest

in education. Therefore, apart from using text books for school

based subjects, there are books specifically used for inculcating a

gender perspective in these girls (Box 7.1).

The 'accelerated learning' mode helps students study highly

relevant topics at a faster pace.

The MSK pedagogy is non-confrontational and supplementary

teaching learning materials (TLM) help girls liberate themselves

from shame, fear and mental inhibitions. Instead of following

traditional instruction modes, activities such as role plays, skits,

games and case stories, are used to raise consciousness on

gender discrimination and change perceptions about themselves.

Discussions on sexuality and the moral values attached to it, by

society, conducted in a non-judgemental manner helps release

suppressed emotions.

The experience of developing gender sensitive TLMs for the

MSKs enabled MS to plan and integrate its values in the design

of activities in KGBVs. This is reflected in the schedule, the

curriculum and the teaching processes at the KGBVs run by MS

in Uttar Pradesh. While regular learning sessions are held daily,

weekends are devoted to co-curricular activities which develop

leadership qualities, bring out creative abilities and foster

Box 7.1:

Jagjagi: A book where each chapter focuses on different

stages of a woman’s life - her birth, childhood, teenage,

marriage, pregnancy, and so on.

Hulchal: Newsletter which reports events about MS, which

are discussed in class.

Chingari: A compendium of documented success stories

of sangha women.

Hamari Kahani Hamari Zubaani (Our stories and our

words): A book describing the life of a girl who faces and

overcomes several challenges.

Meena Mittu: A fictitious story of a girl named Meena,

which has several parts relating to gender discrimination

and life skills. This story conceived by UNICEF has also

been made into a film available at

http://globalclassroom.unicef.ca/en/resources/video.htm

Khilori: A book on questions about everyday life, such as

“How do tears come?” “Why do we become thirsty?” used

with the purpose of kindling the student’s curiosity about

her surroundings.

Source: Bihar Mahila Samakhya Society

Supplementary Teaching and Learning

Materials used in MSKs in Bihar

Bala Sangham health training session, Chityal Mandal, Warangal District, AP

113

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

13 Position paper National Focus Group on Gender Issues in Education, NCERT, 2006 14 MS, UP, 2004

cognitive development. Physical exercise is part of the daily

routine. In KGBVs, apart from completing the regular curriculum

of classes VI to VIII, girls learn an array of skills including karate,

cycling, stitching, embroidery, writing newsletters and writing on

wall paper, to name a few. Many KGBV girls now train girls in

MSKs on karate.

Adolescence is a complicated stage when young people

experience rapid emotional and physical changes and start

developing sexual feelings for the first time in their lives. The

silence that surrounds this issue often leaves them confused and

vulnerable. A natural process like menstruation is still considered

a taboo topic, not to be discussed openly. A Muzaffarpur teacher

in Bihar reported that, when she first asks girls if they

menstruated none would respond. Later, teachers initiate

discussions, first sharing their own experiences then discuss how

girls are socially excluded during menstruation. The curriculum

even has a poem on menstruation which talks about how they are

bleeding and tired, and yet are expected to work more! Such

conversations help girls accept this as a natural phenomenon.

The understanding of sexuality that develops in this stage

becomes central to a person's sense of dignity, self-esteem and 13confidence. The case story of Roopa and Gopal in the Jagjagi

textbook (Box 7.2) is the starting point of discussion about the

sexual act. Teachers guide the dialogue to bring out the deeply

entrenched notion of female sexuality with its emphasis on

virginity and the barriers of morality which a girl faces in her life.

Teachers report that such discussions help girls realise that their

feelings are just another part of growing up and also create

awareness about their rights with respect to sexuality.

14The Training Manual on Life Skill Education brought out by MS

in Uttar Pradesh in consultation with gender experts addresses

fears, misconceptions and tensions in inter-personal relations and

factors that curtail girls' mobility, physical and psychological

growth. Information on issues critical to girls' development

including education, health, nutrition, gender, law, adolescence,

marriage, environment and social norms are included in the

manual. To raise awareness on women's rights, the manual

provides information on legal recourse, different forms of

violence, abortion, adoption, property rights and sex

determination. Information related to anatomy, the physiology of

the sexual and reproductive systems and contraception are

described in a non-judgmental, neutral manner to counter

prevalent myths. To dispel anxieties among adolescents, issues

of shame about the body, fear, guilt, curiosity are also covered.

The MSK and KGBV curriculum designs consciously include

certain non-traditional activities such as karate, cycling and

games customarily played by boys, to free girls from socialised

notions of femininity and masculinity. Most of these young girls

Breaking Inhibitions about their Bodies

Box 7.2:

Roopa is in love with a boy Gopal. When Gopal falls sick,

she tries hard to get some money for his medical treatment.

Unable to find any other source, she goes to the village

zamindar, who says, “If you will have sex with me, I will give

you money”. Although she refuses at first, she relents to his

demand, since she loves Gopal dearly and wanted money

to treat him. When Gopal recovers, he enquires where she

got the money and Roopa tells him the truth. On hearing

the story, Gopal refuses to marry her, complaining that she

is now impure. Source: Jagjagi Text book, Bihar Mahila Samakhya Society

Story of Roopa and Gopal from Jagjagi

Text book

Teacher with MSK STUDENTS, Jamui, Bihar

KGBV girls participate physical exercise class at Sitapur, UP

114

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

were already responsible for being the “nurturer” in the family, for

cooking and taking care of their siblings. When they first come to

MSK, teachers report that the girls are reluctant to play physical

games. With constant encouragement, the girls start playing

football, cricket, kabbadi and kho kho, all of which help them

explore their physical limits. Although, the immediate visible

change is the fun that they have while playing, a much deeper

change happens alongside as these activities allow girls to do

away with inhibitions, develop a sense of security and safety and

enjoy physical freedom and mobility.

Child committees are formed within the MSKs where girls are

given various responsibilities to help run the MSK smoothly.

Prime Ministers and Deputy Ministers are chosen from among the

girls. The Cleanliness Minister ensures hygiene while the Health

Minister is responsible for the well-being of girls. Likewise, the

Class Minister ensures lessons begin on time. The Kitchen and

Garden Ministers take care of the menu and garden respectively.

These positions are rotated to ensure that all girls have

opportunities to lead. In these roles, girls take ownership for a

particular area and learn their first lessons on leadership.

Kishori sansad (girls' parliament) is staged by KGBV learners

every fortnight to discuss significant issues and resolve conflicts

that come up within the residential centre. The sansad is

designed like a Parliament with a Prime Minister and Ministers

responsible for different departments such as a Finance Minister,

a Minister for Stationery, and so on. It is presided over by the

Prime Minister who takes the final decision on cases that are

presented before all learners and few teachers present at the

session. Generally older and sensible girls are chosen for these

ministerial positions. The sansad empowers girls to deal with

conflicts and tensions in their daily lives and thereby ensures a

Leadership Skills Development

sense of ownership and leadership among them in running the

KGBVs. Girls learn to take decisions and act in a manner which

is mature and professional. All KGBV girls are taken on exposure

visits to banks, Nari Adalats and railway stations, which according

to the MS staff in Sitapur, prepares them to deal with practical

situations once they go back home.

Emphasis is provided on cleanliness and grooming at the MSK

and KGBV. The teachers accentuate the need to be clean for a

healthy body and mind. In the first two weeks of orientation, the

teachers personally tend to the girls, providing them with

essential toiletries and demonstrating how to use them. Teachers

also encourage the usage of sanitary napkins during

menstruation. In Bihar, the federation women and MS have

started a napkin manufacturing unit which supplies affordable

napkins to the MSKs. It goes without saying that initially girls are

reluctant to adjust to the new life-style, but they see the changes

within after they groom themselves. Discipline is also inculcated

in their lives with a fixed time-table, and regular meals providing

nutritious food at a defined time of the day unlike their homes,

where they may not always have the right food and at the right

time. Their weight and height is also regularly monitored to

ensure that they remain healthy.

Textbook-based teaching is discouraged; instead activities,

hands-on experiments, exposure visits and peer learning are the

methods of instruction used at the KGBVs. Textbooks are mainly

used as reference material. Teaching is done with the help of a

grid (prepared by MS in consultation with external experts) that

includes a lesson plan, a list of activities useful to learn that

particular lesson and materials required. The emphasis is on

building the skills of learners in listening, reading, writing and

speaking. Learners are encouraged to ask questions, experiment

Awareness of Health and Personal Hygiene

Experiential Learning

Rights-based motivation camp, Dhubri District, Assam

Capacity building session on life-skills, Warangal

115

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

and analyze issues critically. Examples from real-life situations

and local examples are used to understand complex issues. Box

7.3 illustrates classroom transactions used to understand local

governance and leadership using the example of a Gram

Panchayat. Learners are encouraged to read billboards and

signs, instructions and information on packets and use mobile

phones as part of their English language lesson. Similarly, they

are asked to measure the length and width of walls and objects

available in the classroom to understand the concept of area in

Math. Teachers use audio visual material such as CDs on

Science and other issues produced by NCERT, National

Geographic and UNICEF.

Wall paper and Newsletter (Chulbali): a wall paper is prepared

by a team of learners in each KGBV every week. The newspaper

is prepared by an editorial team which collects the best articles

from among the learners. The content includes current

development within the KGBV, articles on gender based

discrimination, stories, puzzles and even sport news. Production

of the wall paper encourages the creativity of the girls.

Teachers evaluate girls studying in MSKs daily and develop

strategies for slow learners. Oral tests are held once a week to

evaluate performance and clear doubts in lessons. Written

examinations are held at the end of the month. At course

conclusion, girls are evaluated by the state office at two levels.

First, an academic evaluation is conducted by the teachers of

MSKs from different districts. Second, the federation women

from different districts check the academic progress evaluated by

the teachers. If girls can stay away from home, several are

mainstreamed into KGBVs or other schools close by. This

happens with close monitoring and coordination by the teachers

and MS. There are specific schools for OBC and SC category

and eligible girls are admitted to those schools with help from

teachers. If the girls cannot afford to stay away from home, they

obtain certificates from a nearby school and sometimes from SSA

itself that they are eligible to join the sixth standard and join

nearby schools in their own villages. These girls often belong to

villages where MS is operational where the sahayoginis monitor

their enrolment into schools. Teachers also visit the homes of

girls whose parents have not sent them to schools. It is through

this process of support and monitoring they ensure most girls get

admitted to mainstream schools.

Initially most of these girls are embarrassed to join their younger

classmates in mainstream schools and during these seven

months, the teachers also try to remove any kind of unease they

might feel, while exercising their choice of continuing their

education. The vocational skills training, they get at MSK

sometimes helps these girls to finance their own education,

without putting financial pressure on their families.

MS in Uttar Pradesh evaluates both the teaching in KGBVs and

the academic progress of the learners independently. While the

teaching is evaluated by an inter-district team including Resource

Evaluation of these Initiatives

Box 7.3:

The session was conducted by two teachers as the class

has over 50 learners. One teacher stands in front while the

other moves around the classroom and intervenes

periodically. The teacher in front begins the session by

asking learners a few questions - Who goes to the open

meeting of the gram panchayat? How many villages does

one pradhan cover? Who has the right to vote? Why is the

Gram Sabha organised in certain months of the year? The

learners begin to answer collectively; the teacher then asks

them to respond one at a time. The next question is related

to women pradhans, the teacher asks if there are women

pradhans in the villages that the girls come from. One

learner gets up and says that she is confused about this.

While there is a woman who is the pradhan in the village,

her husband does everything and the woman’s role is

limited to signing papers. At this point the teachers ask the

girls to work in pairs and discuss what an ideal pradhan

should be like. The learners come up with a list that

includes women pradhans who can perform their roles, who

don’t discriminate, who are concerned about the

development of the entire village and who can provide

employment to all. The teacher then talks about the

importance of having women pradhans who can perform

their roles.

During the entire session, the learners were alert and

enthusiastic. The level of energy was high as live examples

were being discussed. The learners could also relate to the

topic as all of them were familiar with the Panchayati Raj

structure and its functioning in their own villages. There

was a great deal of sharing of experiences and information.

The teachers did not refer to the textbook; instead they

referred to the lesson plan and hand outs prepared for the

girls. They were confident and involved the learners during

the entire session. The learners, on their part, were

engaged and responsive. The teachers resorted to

conventional methods of disciplining the girls by asking

them to raise hands, stand up, etc. However, the teaching

itself was not conventional by any standard. It was creative,

participatory and highly informative.

Source: Participant observation by Nirantar staff in field visits, Uttar Pradesh,

March 2010

Classroom transactions at the KGBV,

Mishrikh: Class VI A, Social Science

116

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

Persons from the MS District Office, SRPs, select members from

SSA and DPCs using the format prepared by the teachers during

teachers' training, the evaluation of the learners is done by the

teachers on a monthly

basis depending on the

subjects taught.

Since January 2010,

Aakansha Samitis

have been formed at

the district and state

level to monitor the

KGBVs at the initiative

of the Principal

Secretary to create

mentors for the

KGBVs. At the district

level, the wives of

District Magistrates are

expected to mentor

and monitor KGBVs by

making regular visits.

At the state level, the

wife of the Education

Secretary plays this

role. “The involvement

of the state and district authorities is much greater in the KGBV 15 scheme through such forums”.

It is not enough to design curriculum and prepare modules

appropriate for adolescent drop outs; equally important is the

selection of teachers and training them to use the available

Teachers as Facilitators of Change

material. The teachers of MSK and KGBV are the role models for

the girls and play multiple roles at the same time, ranging from a

friend who girls can call anytime as a source of emotional support

or even for help at the time of crisis, to that of a guide who

nurtures them through a journey of discovery. MS has a

systematic selection and capacity building process for teachers

and then the teachers apply their learning to the pedagogy.

Teachers are selected based on their teaching capabilities and

inclination to uphold the principles of MS implemented through

MSK and KGBV. Academic qualifications are not the only priority

for selection. Often, a candidate having better qualifications such

as a Masters degree in Education, may be rejected if she does

not have the attitude to stay along with the girls and teach them.

KGBV teachers are appointed following SSA guidelines.

However, MS goes through a rigorous selection process to locate

the best candidate with knowledge of the subject and the right

attitude towards girls from marginalised families and who are

likely to stay as frequent teachers turnover adversely affects the

psychology of girls. Selected teachers are provided pre-service

and in-service training on teaching methods, management of

residential centres, gender concepts, MS philosophy and much

more. Through discussions, teachers themselves contemplate

alternatives to challenge and analyze the lives of women through

the prism of societal and family discriminations. Issues on

sexuality (gay, lesbian and transgender issues), reproductive

health of adolescents, early pregnancy are discussed. Exercises

on gender discrimination help teachers identify gender based

biases in their own families. The MSK has been conceptualised

to provide an environment free of traditional restrictions and

discriminations upon the girls. Therefore, it becomes very critical

for teachers to understand even sub-conscious gender

discrimination, so they can refrain from reinforcing it and help girls

challenge it.

The training enables teachers to challenge formal methods of

teaching where textbook based teaching is prioritised and where

the teacher is considered as the ultimate source of knowledge.

Several teachers mentioned that there is a lot of 'unlearning' that

they go through as part of the initial training and teaching

process. They give up textbook based teaching; conduct

activities and experiments; also make efforts to make teaching

participatory as opposed to making it instructive and top down

(Box 7.4). Finally, they make efforts to establish a rapport with

learners and thereby address their needs.

Most teachers have no previous experience of teaching learners

who have dropped out of mainstream education. Therefore, it is

Selection and Capacity Building of Teachers

15 Interview with Ms Lalita Pradeep, ex-SPD, MSUP and Principal, DIET, Lucknow, March 2010.

117

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

held for MSK teachers in Bihar. Law covers the Marriage

Registration Act (2007), Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation)

Act (1986), trafficking and The Protection of Women from

Domestic Violence Act (2005). In March 2009, the teachers

attended a training programme on gender and sexuality. These

training sessions are a different experience for the teachers

themselves. As one teacher stated, “Sex is that part of a

woman's life through which most violence happens and through

which life continues and yet, we realised that we exercise very

little control over it.” Once in three months, teachers from all

MSKs in the state meet for a reflection meeting, where they share

their experiences and seek suggestions to overcome their

challenges.

Students of MSK and KGBV consider their teachers to be

confidantes whom they can speak to and request for help any

time. The teachers see their role of a support system as an

integral part of their responsibility. According to one MSK teacher

in Muzaffarpur district, “In formal schools, there is no relation

between the student and the teacher. When the bell rings they

leave. It is just like another job for them, and they leave 'duty' at

the end of the day. Here, we have a relationship based on love.

We also don't beat them. In the formal schools, teachers think

discipline is the responsibility of the parents, but here we take

complete ownership for the girls. There, the distinction between

the student and teacher is very clear while we sit on the ground

along with them and talk openly about ourselves and them. We

become their friends and crack jokes and at the same we are

their guardians as well.”

Adolescent girls are at a vulnerable phase in life where, besides

external disempowering factors, they experience several internal

The Impact on Adolescent girls

a challenge for them to address issues related to such learners;

including multiple levels of learners (as opposed to students who

come with similar educational and social backgrounds in

mainstream schools), the use of local language by learners (in

contrast to the use of Hindi or English in formal schools), diverse

social and cultural practices of learners that are at times,

discriminatory.

Training sessions on law, Panchayati Raj, and environment are

Box 7.4:

I am a trained teacher with a Bachelors degree in Education

and a Masters degree from Lucknow University. I have

taught in a Convent school before joining the KGBV in

2008. I had not interacted with MS prior to this and I had

limited information about KGBVs. Therefore, everything

was new when I went for the first training at the State

Programme Office in Lucknow. The six day training

focused on pedagogy; new terms, methods of teaching and

systems were introduced during the training at the end of

which there were still areas that were not clear to me.

Once we came to the KGBV, students gradually started

enrolling. On seeing them, I wondered if we could ever

teach them. We had to deal with issues of hygiene and

cleanliness. Girls would not speak or would speak in the

local language that was difficult for us to follow. It took us

very long to explain things and we would give examples to

make things clear to them. The readiness package was

very useful in addressing a lot of these issues that we found

challenging. We also got support from the local staff in

understanding the language and communicating with the

girls.

When it came to teaching, we reverted to what we were

most familiar with, and sure enough this did not work.

Three months later we were called for a second training.

We placed our problems before the trainers. This was

when the grid was introduced to us. The grid encouraged

us to focus on activities; we were told to make girls work in

groups. We became familiar with participatory methods of

teaching where thinking and analytical skills of learners are

developed and strengthened. We were told to not

discourage learners from speaking in local languages or in

a language that we considered ‘incorrect’; what was

important was to get girls to articulate their feelings and

communicate with others. This was challenging, yet not

impossible. Today we have a different relationship with the

girls. They are an integral part of our lives.

Interview with a KGBV teacher in Parsendi, Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh,

March 2010

Adapting to MS pedagogy

118

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

conflicts and confusions, hence the need for individual

empowerment, to help them sail through this stage, with strength

and ease, to emerge

as strong individuals.

The success of the

Mahila Samakhya

programme lies in its

approach of looking

at a woman's life

holistically,

understanding that

empowerment

cannot be a one shot

magic bullet but

rather a process that

evolves based on the

complexities

associated with her

life. A similar

approach reveals

itself as the different

initiatives for

adolescents are

examined. The

power of these

programmes lies in

their being interlinked. The biggest challenge is to ensure that

these initiatives do not stand apart and are rooted in the overall

movement, linked to sanghas and the federations.

The impact on education manifests in girls being mainstreamed

into schools or in the enrolment drives that they become part of,

to bring other children into schools. Life skills in the curriculum

build confidence as well as increase their mobility, sense of

personal safety and personal hygiene. The impact on adolescent

girls as individuals includes having a platform where they can

together, identify and deal with issues faced by their age group.

Another major impact is the enhanced ability to act both as

individual and collective change agents in their community and

the rise of second line of leadership for the movement.

Individually each of these girls carries with her into her future the

MS philosophy of knowing her rights and being able to critically

challenge traditional norms and practices, although to a lesser

extent than the sangha women, who are backed by the strength

of the sanghas and federations.

The major impact of the adolescent initiatives lies in helping girls

get back into regular schools. This is seen through the MSKs,

KGBVs and Jagjagi Kendras, which act as bridges to help girls

get the skills necessary to continue their education. In Bihar,

most MSK students have been mainstreamed into schools or

KGBVs. For several girls, it has been a prolonged struggle to

continue their education and sometimes it is their knowledge of

their rights and vocational skills which has allowed them to take

an independent stand and demand education. Box 7.5 narrates

Renu's life changing story of how she was encouraged to join the

Jagjagi Kendra and later the MSK and how her aspirations grew

through this experience.

MSK administration regularly invites families to review the

progress of their daughters. The parents have been struck with

the transformation within their girls. Most of them were diffident

and slow learners before entering the MSKs. Within eight

months, parents can see for themselves how their girls have

become confident and determined. This motivates them and

other parents to send their daughters to schools to study further.

Girls who return home after they leave MSKs are monitored by

MS field staff to ensure that they are sent to schools. Constant

motivation and support from teachers motivates girls to continue

their education. MSK builds the spirit to challenge traditional

norms and the ability to seek alternatives in face of obstacles.

Often, MSK graduates seek admission for themselves in

mainstream schools. In cases, where admissions are difficult,

they ask for MS help. Several girls articulated their aspirations

due to MSK, saying they have been motivated to study and have

in turn motivated many others in their communities.

Thus the main strength of all the adolescent initiatives is

motivating girls to study. This takes the form of girls being

encouraged to first join the Jagjagi Kendra or the MSK or the

KGBVs or regular schools, sometimes with each acting as

conduits to the other.

The Jagjagi Kendra's ability to mainstream large numbers into

regular schools is reflected in the 32,720 girls that have been

The Centres as Conduits to Education

MSK student sells self made handicrafts at an annual gathering in Jharkhand

119

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

16 mainstreamed into regular schools in Bihar by June 2010. MS

believes that in three years using this educational method, girls

who have never been to school or have dropped out can be theducated up to the 5 standard levels. However, if in one year,

the girl feels ready, she may enrol into school even earlier. These

centres play a vital role in bridging the gap between illiteracy and

an empowered education, by ensuring access and creating

awareness in the community and among the girls about the

importance of education. Through these three years, any shame

girls may experience to join classes with younger children is

removed.

Girls were crystal clear about the utility of education in their daily

lives. Many girls reported that they were able to keep track of

money transactions for simple purchases. As one girl

commented “Earlier my mother would give me money to buy

something and I would not know how to count the money. Now,

the shopkeeper knows that I can calculate the balance and keep

track of the accounts.”

Families see the relevance of education when their daughters are

able to fill forms, write applications and letters. So from the

beginning a clear strategy was used to teach letter and

application writing to girls in JJK, so that families can reap the

benefits of educating their daughters. Box 7.6 shows how

Shamima encourages young girls from JJK to join MSK.

Box 7.5:

“You cannot go to school. Girls never go to school. You are

supposed to tend to household chores and help me in my

work.” Renu’s mother ensured that her daughter was confined

to her home instead of educating her. 10 year old Renu never

understood the importance of basic literacy skills. One day,

she met her friend

from Bulakipur village

who told her about the

Jagjagi Kendra’s

benefits. “You can

study at the Jagjagi

Kendra and also learn

vocational skills”, said

her friend. Inspired by

her friend’s knowledge

acquired at the Jagjagi

Kendra, Renu took her

mother to the Jagjagi

Kendra to meet the saheli. The saheli dispelled her mother’s

doubts and advised her to admit Renu. Renu studied at the

Kendra learning how to read stories, basic numeracy and write

simple sentences. The Jagjagi Kendra was a forum where girls

could share their problems and experiences and tackle

challenges together. Within a year, Renu’s parents decided to

Jagjagi Kendras opens up avenues: The

story of Renu Kumari

get her married to a person far older. Renu placed her

problem before the saheli and her friends at the Jagjagi

Kendra. The saheli told Renu to stand her ground and ask her

parents to stop the marriage. Renu told her parents that she

wanted to study and did not want to ruin her life by marrying so

early. Her parents were shocked that she was defying their

decision and were reluctant to postpone the marriage. The

saheli of the Jagjagi Kendra and a couple of friends also

visited Renu’s parents who this time cancelled the wedding.

Renu was allowed to continue her studies.

Renu entered the MSK in Dumra, Sitamarhi in 2004-05 after

the preliminary interview. Apart from general studies, Renu

excelled in yoga, karate, screen printing, Madhubani painting,

cycling and sewing. After leaving the MSK, she trained girls at

the Jagjagi Kendra. Renu wanted all the children her village to

study in mainstream schools. She also held coaching

sessions for them for three-four months. Many were inspired

by Renu and joined schools. Renu, herself enrolled in a

mainstream school after leaving MSK. She sponsored her own

education through the money she earned by sewing and

teaching karate in schools. Renu successfully completed her

class 12 examinations in 2009. She has now been appointed

as a saheli in the Jagjagi Kendra in her village. She wants to

be a teacher and is now preparing to sit for the B. Ed

examination.

Source: Interview with Renu Kumari, Sitamarhi district, Bihar, July 2010

16 Data reported by Bihar Mahila Samakhya Society

Gender Training Bala Sangham, Warangal District

120

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

Box 7.6:

Shamima is 35 years old, from Musheri block of

Muzaffarpur District in Bihar. She grew up in a red light

area where her life was restricted and education was not

seen as fruitful. She was keen to get education and

passed 10th class public exam. Her sister was very

supportive as she worked in an NGO. She encouraged

Shamima and helped her become mobile when needed.

Her father encouraged them not to use a veil, as he was of

the opinion that it would be difficult for them to work

wearing it. Initially people used to gossip but later this

stopped. Now she does not use a veil any more.

Shamima started a Jagjagi Kendra in the red light area

after she finished school in Musheri block. In this area

people always wait for girls to grow older to pull them into

sex-work. For instance, one student called Sahana was

enrolled in JJK and wanted to study further but the

community and her parents opposed it. As Shamima had

built trust in the community, she was able to get Sahana’s

mother’s support to admit Sahana into an MSK. From the

MSK Sahana further went on to study in the KGBV in

Bocha block. Over the years, she too has mobilized many

girls to study in MSK.

Source: Interview with Shamima, Muzaffarpur District, Bihar, July 2010

Change Agents - Encouraging Young

Girls from Difficult Areas to Join MSK

Girls reported being forced to discontinue their education after

class V as there were no schools in their village. The KGBVs

gave them a second chance to continue with their dreams. The

first batch of students from KGBVs in Uttar Pradesh, graduated

only in 2009 and therefore the impact on continued education is

too early to assess. However, a total of 988 girls did complete

their studies at the KGBVs in 2009 and 2010 and are pursuing

their education in regular schools in class X and IX respectively

today. All girls interviewed turned out to be confident, articulate

and highly motivated to continue their education. Box 7.7 shows

how a girl who is motivated enough, wants to study at India's

premier institutions.

As budding change agents, KGBV students are encouraged to

teach literacy to at least ten women in their villages during the

long school holidays, share their reproductive health knowledge

with other women, and visit the Panchayat to find out about

government schemes and programmes. Most girls interviewed

said they were able to teach four or five women and some could

motivate families to send their daughters to KGBVs.

The indirect impact on education happens through the

ambassadors of MSK - the students who finish the course. MSKs

have not just created girls who have educated themselves but

agents of change who have also played an important role in

motivating their neighbours and sisters to empower themselves.

Today, the number of girls applying for admission is much more

than the seats available in MSK - a powerful testimony to

community perception of MSKs being able to add value to the

lives of girls.

Interviews revealed that girls like Seema (Sitamari district, Bihar),

Kunti (Muzzafarpur, Bihar), Neelam (Sitapur, UP) have

internalised the MS philosophy of self-development and

continued their education beyond the Jagjagi Kendras, MSKs or

KGBVs which marked a new beginning for these girls. These

girls, especially those from poor, backward or minority

communities act as role models inspiring their peers to emulate

Box 7.7:

The story of Ranjita from MSK, Sitamarhi is truly

inspirational for girls of her age. Ranjita is physically

disabled and hails from a poor family. Because she was

disabled her father was not keen to send her to school. But

she fought all odds including her father’s disapproval and

joined the MSK, where she developed the urge to study

further. Her resolute determination impressed Sangeeta

Dutta, an MS staff member, who helped her continue her

education in the KGBV free of cost. The instructor at the

KGBV was also impressed with Ranjita’s perseverance to

excel in her studies. Ranjita volunteered to sponsor her

own education by selling Madhubani paintings but was

counselled by Sangeeta to focus on her education and not

worry about money. The MSK has provided Ranjita the

space to cultivate her thoughts and develop her personality.

MSK provided her vocational training on print-screening and

Madhubani painting. By virtue of her skills, she is able to

stand on her own feet and fund her own education. She

now wants to study in IIT and become an engineer. She

intended to enrol herself in the Super 30 coaching institute

in Patna which she believes would enable her entry into the

IIT. The only obstacle in her path to further education is her

father. Ranjita requested Sangeeta to speak to the director

of the coaching institute on the issue of the fees when the

time comes for her to enrol since her own father refused to

do so. When Sangeeta asked her, "How will I ensure your

admission in the institute?" Ranjita replied I am good in my

studies. I will get such good scores in my higher secondary

examinations that the institute would be compelled to admit

me.

Source: Interview with Sangeeta Dutta, DPC, Sitamarhi district, Bihar state,

July 2010

KGBVs and MSKs build Inspirational

Role Models

121

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

their success by seeking education, thereby sensitizing both girls

and the community about the importance of education for girls.

Many family members, who act as 'gatekeepers' to education,

transform from opponents to 'enablers', who are now proud of

their daughters.

The enrolment drives of the Kishori Manchas and the Bala

Sanghams have given many children the opportunity to go back

to school (Box 7.8).

Kishoris have their own savings in post office and banks. They

have pooled funds in which each contributes five rupees every

month to support the education of Kishoris. A Kishori Manch

library has been set up, funded by the Kishoris and the sangha.

This is the only library in Goalpara district. Books are donated to

this library. Likewise, Bala Sangham members take responsibility

to teach their parents, siblings and other illiterate community

members. Inspired by their sons and daughters, parents of Bala

Sangham members in Andhra Pradesh have also enrolled

themselves in MS literacy classes (Box 7.9).

The importance of education is brought home strongly to the girls

who participate in these adolescent initiatives to the point where

not only do they pursue their own education, they also actively

help others do so. By becoming role models these young girls

have inspired their siblings, parents, and other girls to study and

they have even contributed their own funds towards the larger

purpose of education.

The adolescent initiatives provide girls a range of exposure

through life-skills which enable them to perform in many spheres

Enrolment Campaigns

Life-Skills and Vocational Exposure

of life. Through self-defence they learn to protect themselves,

through cycling they become mobile, by learning to operate a

bank account they save, by understanding personal hygiene they

protect their health and so on.

Self-Protection for Safety and Security

The emphasis on physical activities in the MSK, is a point of pride

for Bihar MS. Students and graduates of MSK enjoy karate and

are proud of their physical fitness, increased confidence and have

a heightened sense of security. Ajmeri Khatoon from Muzaffarpur

district can not only defend herself but spreads this skill to others

by teaching karate. Her monthly earnings of 3,000 rupees now

supports her family.

Learning to Earn and Save

Four months into the MSK course, girls are introduced to

vocational training and crafts such as Madhubani paintings,

sewing, sculpture, ceramic work and making detergents, chalk,

beads and traditional bangles of lac (a resin like substance).

Girls engage in entrepreneurial ventures individually by taking

loans from MS federations to buy second hand sewing machines

to set up small shops in their villages tailoring clothes for women.

With the money they earn, girls can fund their higher education.

Box 7.9:

Shailendra from Warangal provides reading and writing

lessons in night classes to women in his colony. He

provides slates and chalks (which he procures from school)

to the women. He teaches women to write their names,

and that of their village. Now, most of them have enrolled in

the Adult Literacy Centre (ALC) to continue their education.

Source: Interview with Shailendra, Bala Sangham Member, Warangal

District, March 2010.

Bala Sangham Motivates Parents to

Learn

Box 7.8:

Nachibala Rabha is a Kishori Mancha member of

Dhamkhuli village under Balijana Block, Goalpara District.

She was very good in her studies but her parents were too

poor to let her continue her studies. Instead she served for

two years as a maidservant. After Sangha women along

with Kishoris, met her parents convinced them about the

importance of education, her parents brought back their

daughter and re-admitted her in school. Nachibala passed

the primary examination and is now a member of the “Puji

got” (fund group) of the Kishori Manch.

Source: Interview Nachibala Rabha, Kishori Mancha member, Goalpara

District, Assam, April 2010

Back to School through the Kishori

Manchas

122

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

Kishoris are now involved in a range of income generation

activities such as production of jute handicrafts, tailoring, poultry

farming, embroidery, sari weaving and papad making. The

products made by Kishoris are often sold in markets or in

exhibitions.

Increase in Mobility

Both MSKs and KGBVs encourage women and girls to cycle,

which has increased their mobility and confidence. MSKs in

Bihar have linked to the state government cycle scheme to

provide girls with bicycles. Through different physical activities,

girls are able to exercise freedom of physical expression which

early socialisation had suppressed. The experience of MSK and

KGBV allows for physical freedom to translate into a strong form

of self-expression, confidence and mobility.

Awareness on Personal Hygiene and Health

The emphasis on cleanliness and grooming at the MSK and the

KGBV is experienced as positive benefit. Almost all the girls of

KGBV mentioned using sanitary napkins and convincing their

Box 7.11:

KGBV girls of Baharaich district made quilts to use in winter

when adequate funds were not available to purchase them.

A warden revealed that some electric fittings and electric

iron repair was done by the girls. They also work in shops

for short periods to gain hands-on experience applying the

lessons learnt. “We will go back and earn a living by using

the skills acquired here,” a learner in KGBV Mishrikh said

with great determination.

Interviews with KGBV warden in Mishrikh, learners in Mishrikh and

Parsendi and SRP, Lucknow, March 2010.

KGBVs Help Girls Acquired Useful

Skills

The girls also form small groups in business ventures and divide

the profits equally. Many girls have made use of the vocational

skills imparted here and also taken further courses to develop

these skills.

Teachers of MSK helped girls open bank accounts, operate them

independently through which they understand the potential of

saving. Razda is one such example of a girl who is tremendously

motivated to save to study (Box 7.10). Kunti a fourteen year old

from Muzaffarpur, Bihar was married and joined MSK after

persuading her husband and in-laws. She learnt tailoring and

cycling. She wanted to continue her education and join a school

two kilometers away. Her in-laws granted her permission after a

lot of persuasion, but refused to pay for her books. Kunti

collected money for her books by tailoring clothes. She has even

received a cycle from the Chief Minister's cycle-yojana and is a

proud student of class IX who cycles to school daily.

Girls in the KGBVs learn advanced skills like electrical repair,

seen as a male domain, which challenge stereotypes and

develop their ability to earn in the future (Box 7.11). In Sitapur

KGBV during the summer camp learners are taught typing, spiral

binding, electric fitting and how to repair cycles, hand-pumps and

some electronic items. They are also taught yoga, martial arts,

and aerobics. A number of girls at the KGBVs can ride bicycles, a

skill that they have acquired at the residential school. The

warden in Mishrikh block was happy when the girls repaired the

dysfunctional hand pump right outside the building.

Box 7.10:

I am Razda Khatun. My father is a daily wager, my mother

is a paralytic and I have seven siblings. My brothers who

are married, work and live separately do not give any

money to my family and my father is old. My elder sister is

now married but she was first amongst us to join an MSK.

After studying from the MSK there was a tremendous

change in her behaviour which was good and she

motivated us to join. There I learnt karate, stitching and

Madhubani painting. My income from teaching Karate and

my father’s income support our family expenses.

Sahayogini didi told me to open a bank account to manage

my money. I felt very good opening the account. I know

how to deposit and withdraw. First time didi taught us and

now I do it. I was the captain of football and kho kho teams.

I want to finish my doctorate in English. I have bought a

dictionary to improve my vocabulary and use it regularly.

To make sure I can study I save money.

Interview with Razda Khatun, Muzzafarpur district, Bihar, July

2010.

MSK Student Learns To Operate Her

Own Bank Account

123

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

friends and other young women in the family to do the same.

They explain how this helps prevent various infections and

diseases.

The original intent and impact of the KGBVs and MSKs lie in

creating individual change agents once they return to their

communities, where the girls who graduate from these institutions

can challenge the traditional norms that are detrimental to women

and girls. Such agents of change are not created overnight but

by ensuring that each of the girls first experience a process of

empowerment. The environment created by the teachers,

provide a 'safe space' where the girls start to share and express

their thoughts and feelings.

Their knowledge of rights gives them confidence and allows their

voices to be heard. In this struggle, they have expressed their

needs and raised their voices against oppression. Unlike women,

who had been suppressed for years together, these girls have not

been subjected to discrimination for that long. All they need is a

trigger to surge forward with enthusiasm and confidence and

several Lalitas will find their way into the world. (Box 7.12)

In KGBVs run by MS, sessions on social learning and a gender-

sensitive approach to education have enabled learners to speak

out against gender based discrimination. Girls have been able to

protest against domestic violence, early marriage and restrictions

on mobility. In some cases they have also been able to provide

support to others in distress, including their own family members.

Jamuna of Sitapur even told her father “men can't give birth to

babies”, in response to his statement that Mahila Samakhya

makes men do all the work. Like MSK girls, many have acted to

stop early marriage, either their own or of girls known to them. For

Impact on Empowerment

instance, Nisha, a young girl in Korapur was able to stop her own

marriage in order to study further. Manisha Kumari in Madhubana

village was able to speak up against violence that her family

members were inflicting upon her sister in law. She also brought 17this case to the Nari Adalat. Neelam of Sitapur mentioned that

Box 7.12:

At the age of 10, Lalita’s parents wanted to marry her off,

but in her eagerness to learn, she resisted marriage and

started attending the Jagjagi Kendra without the knowledge

of her parents. Lalita recalls, “I still remember the day my

twin brother caught me going to school. He beat me up

since he was ashamed of the fact that I dared to study

when none of the men in our family had ever attended

school. My mother also condoned his violence.” When she

heard about MSK, Lalita joined the course despite

opposition from her parents, in the year 2000, along with

other 24 illiterate to semi-literate girls. “In my village, I was

doing nothing but cutting grass, fetching firewood, cleaning

and cooking. In between, I used to attend the ‘Jagjagi’

without my parents’ knowledge” says Lalita. Lalita and the

other girls learned to read and write, and received life skills

training. They were also taught cycling, karate, hygiene,

health care, and public speaking.

Lalita returned home with skills that helped her to set up a

tailoring shop. Upon her request for further education, MSK

sponsored her karate teaching classes. Today Lalita travels

by bus to teach karate to girls in four ‘Mahila Shikshan

Kendra’ schools. After being photographed for the cover of

UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children (2004) report, she

traveled to New Delhi for the report’s worldwide launch.

There she met politicians and film stars, and participated in

a press conference. "I want all the girls of the world to go to

school like me and progress,” she said earnestly.

“Now I believe that every daughter has the potential, and I

will tell everyone to think differently,” says Lalita’s father,

Bhadai Majhi, while her mother, Saroopia Devi, beams with

pride. “Look at the respect that is being given to my

daughter” says the proud mother. Today Lalita is not only a

celebrity and a karate teacher but is also an independent

young woman who supports herself and her family. “I want

to keep studying and become an accomplished teacher. I

want to teach girls about the world outside their experience,

and I dream of a school in every village!”

Source: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/india_lalita_education.html

Lalita – Karate teacher becomes a

celebrity through MS

17 Interview with MS field staff, Sitapur District, July 2010.

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EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

across MS districts in Andhra Pradesh in 2008-09 alone. In the

Vizianagaram district, the Bala Sanghams organised village level

camps and workshops in 37 villages of four mandals. The

Panchayat members, parents, teachers and community elders

were invited to participate in the focus group discussions. In the

workshop, girls expressed their desire to continue their education.

One Gram Panchayat in the district initiated the keeping of

marriage registers in 13 villages, and members of the Bala

Sangham acted as a community watch-dog to prevent early

marriages, which was validated with due recognition from the

Gram Panchayat and the community. The Gram Panchayat

members also stressed the importance of maintaining a marriage

register and joined the campaign in educating the community

about the ill effects of child marriage.

Bala Sangham members have been an integral part of the anti-

alcohol movement in Andhra Pradesh (Box 7.14). Besides,

motivating their fathers to stop consumption of country liquor,

members have inspired the community to be part of the

movement. As a result of the vigorous campaigns of Bala

Sangham members in Warangal, alcohol consumption ceased in

30 households in Chityal block. Consequently there has been a

marked reduction in domestic violence against women.

The other visible impact of the Bala Sanghams has been the

reduction of gender discrimination in their families and in the

school (Box 7.15). The adolescents transfer this learning to their

elders and siblings and challenge norms that do not allow men

and women to live on equal terms, especially with respect to

sharing household chores. The Bala Sangham boys share

domestic work with their sisters and mothers and attempt to break

myths and misconceptions related to food particularly during

menstruation and pregnancy. Venkatesh, a member of the Kamla

Nehru Bala Sangham, Dodhanapalli village, Saidapur block in

Karimnagar district never did any household chores. After

after she found out about the MGNREGA scheme from the

Panchayat pradhan, four members of her family were able to

access work through the scheme. Exposure visits to government

offices, banks, tehsil, police station and other public places have

enhanced the levels of information and confidence of learners.

The majority of girls feel that the method of teaching employed in

KGBV helped them to learn a lot in a short period of time. Many of

them aspire to become teachers, preferably in KGBVs.

Being much younger, gender sensitisation in the Jagjagi Kendras

takes place albeit to a lesser extent than at the MSK. Yet, all girls

were aware of the minimum age for marriage and were determined

that they would get married only after they reached 18 years.

Kishoris, armed with information on the legal age of marriage and

the strength of a collective, have reported being able to stop or at

the least, postpone early marriages. In such cases, Kishoris

usually approach parents in groups of six or seven When Kishoris

from Rupshi block in Dhubri district found out that one of their

friends, Chalema Thakur was getting married, they approached

her parents and asked them to consider that their daughter was

underage and could face complications in her reproductive

health. Once her parents were made aware of the problems their

daughter could face, they abandoned plans for her marriage

temporarily.

Towards collective action, the most visible impact of the work of

the Bala Sanghams has been in their battles against alcoholism

and child marriage (Box 7.13). Due to their vigorous campaigns

against child-marriage, 334 early marriages were postponed

Box 7.13:

Sunita, a member of Nehru Bala Sangham, Karimnagar

was being forced by parents to get married at the age of

15. The Bala Sangham members told her about the ill-

effects of early marriage, “Why are you getting married at

such an early age? You are so thin and your body is not

ready to give birth to a baby. You would face reproductive

problems later.” Sunita’s friends in the Bala Sangham went

to her parents to convince them against the marriage.

They told them Sunita's health would be at stake if she was

married early. But the parents were not willing to listen to

the adolescents. To mount pressure upon the parents, they

went to the sangha, Sarpanch and the MPDO office. This

time, Sunita’s parents heeded the advice of the community

elders and the adolescents and allowed Sunita to stall the

wedding and complete her education.

Source: Focus Group Discussion with Bala Sangham Members, Karimnagar

district, Andhra Pradesh, March 2010

Fighting child marriage with

community support

125

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

18 Focus group discussion with Kishoris, Goalpara district, April, 2010.

becoming a member of the Bala Sangham, he not only helps his

mother to clean the house, he also helps in making meals and

washing dishes. His family too, has understood that domestic

work is not the sole responsibility of women alone and that both

sexes need to contribute to ease the burden on women.

The girls in Kishori Manchas faced various forms of discrimination

at home, from accessing food to accessing education. One 18Kishori from Goalpara district said, “Earlier we did not know

about our rights. The Kishori Mancha became a space to gain

information. Now, we know that we too are entitled to equal

rights, like the right to education, right to speak, right to move

from one place to another and the right to lead a free life, instead

of being forced to go to work. We also can exercise our right to

development and to access resources. We learnt that we have

the right to participate in public fora. In the Kishori Mancha, we

learnt that girls are entitled to an equal amount of food in the

family, just like her brothers.” With the formation of the Kishori

Mancha in the village and with the approval of parents who

viewed it as part of the girls' learning process, their mobility has

increased. It was a change for Kishoris as in the past parents

were reluctant to even send their daughters to the market to buy

groceries and stopped them even when they wished to visit their

friends.

However, girls continue to face opposition from parents when

joining the sangham. Bala Sangham girls especially, are

prevented from attending night meetings. Sensitizing parents

through special outreach efforts or adjusting timings of meetings

to suit girls may help overcome this resistance.

The MSKs are an exemplary model of the education for

empowerment framework. The most powerful impact of the

Mahila Shikshan Kendra on the state is that it became a model

which has been mainstreamed into the KGBV, the state run

residential learning programme for girls. The fact that the

Impact on the State

Box 7.15:

Mamta from the Vanila Bala Sangham, Chityal block takes a

resolute stand against gender discrimination in her school. As

a strategy Mamta also ensures that teachers are invited to the

meetings of Bala Sangham to make them aware of its

activities. One of

her friends dropped

out of primary

education after she

was beaten up by a

teacher.

Thereafter, she lost

her enthusiasm to

study. Mamta and

other Bala

Sangham members

went to the teacher

Advocacy against sexual harassment

and gender discrimination in schools

to protest the incident. She told the teacher, “We are small

girls and you have hurt our feelings. Our friend left the school

because of you.” Because of this pressure, the teacher

apologised for her misconduct to the girl.

Another teacher in her school used to sexually harass the girl

students. Mamta informed the Child Rights Protection

Committee (CRPC) and asked for his removal. The CRPC

heeded her request and immediately removed the teacher

from the school. After one teacher made boys and girls sit

separately in the class, there was a gender divide which the

girls could clearly sense. The boys would taunt the girls and

laugh whenever the girls raised questions. The girls felt the

discrimination and asked the teacher, “Why are you separating

us like that? You are making the distinction between boys and

girls. We want to study together.” When this did not work,

they asked the principal to intervene, and they were allowed to

mix freely once again.

Source: Interview with Mamta, Bala Sangham Member, Warangal district,

Andhra Pradesh, March 2010.

Box 7.14:

The issue of alcoholism worried Prabhu, member of Vanila

Bala Sangham, in Chityal block, Warangal. He devised a

strategy to put an end to liquor consumption in his village

with the help of the media and community institutions. He

and 20 team members took the bottles from the liquor

shops and burnt them at the bus-stop. They had also

invited the press to cover their act. Prabhu says, “I did this

to stop liquor consumption which was wrecking our

families.” The Bala Sangham members also informed the

police prior to taking this action. The police supported the

adolescents in their mission to root out the menace. The

members also received support from the village Sarpanch

and Up-Sarpanch in this regard.

Source: Interview with Prabhu, Bala sangham member, Warangal district,

Andhra Pradesh, March 2010.

Rooting out alcoholism

126

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

organised once the KGBV started in Deoband. The KGBV food

menu was changed and girls were given eggs twice a week, as

MS realised that most of them were used to a non-vegetarian

diet. MS also relaxed the KGBV timings to allow girls to observe 19 20 21religious practices such as namaaz , roza , and iftaar. Thus the

community was convinced that the KGBV was not a space where

girls would “go wayward” or would be “sold off”, but an

educational institution that respected their cultural practices. As a

result, enrolments at the KGBV increased. Once the girls settled

in and ownership and trust was established with the community,

MS organised an event at which the teachers and MS staff

performed instead of the girls. In this manner MS respects the

demand from the community that their girls should not participate

in singing and dancing. Soon the girls started asking to be

allowed to watch television and go out in public. MS allows for all

this gradually and the girls are now sent regularly to the local

park; they ride bicycles, watch television and even wear track

pants! KGBV is a secular space where the girls are treated with

respect and are given the autonomy to practice their own religion.

In the MSKs as well, teachers are sensitised on respecting

religious sentiments and the cultural diversity of different

communities. At the Dumra MSK, in Sitamarhi district, Bihar, one

of the teachers separated the Muslim and Hindu girls. Once this

came to the notice of MS, the teacher was counselled on the

importance of inclusion and this changed her behaviour. New

innovations towards the goal of inclusion have been pioneered

with women in jails in Jharkhand and sexually abused children in

Kerala.

Mahila Samakhya has modified the MSK model for women

prisoners. The first step through which MS started working with

MSK in Prisons in Jharkhand

19 Formal prayer of Islam20 Fasting in the month of Ramzan

21 The meal breaking the fast at the end of the day during Ramzan

monitoring role of MS has been written into the KGBV guidelines

is a testimony to state recognition of the expertise of Mahila

Samakhya. Gender training of teachers and gender based

learning materials from MSK are included in the curriculum of

KGBVs. Although, there are various studies conducted at

different levels about addressing the gender bias in the education

curriculum and pedagogy, the existence of a living model, has

made it much easier to operationalise it. Yet, through

institutionalisation, many MS staff reported that the state run

KGBVs were not nearly as effective as those run by MS or the

MSKs. Therefore, it would be important for MS to monitor the

KGBVs on a state by state basis to assess what aspects are

retained from the original model and what are not.

A challenge faced by any innovation is that of inclusion of

marginalised populations. Both MSKs and KGBVs are found to

be extremely sensitive to the needs of girls and have taken the

initiative to be inclusive of girls coming from different cultural

backgrounds or girls facing difficult circumstances (Box 7.16).

In order to win the confidence of the minority Muslim community,

MS in Deoband, Uttar Pradesh has made certain adjustments in

its functioning to accommodate cultural differences. The KGBV

uniform was changed to salwar kameez with dupatta and girls

were told that they could cover their heads. Contrary to the MS

practice of organising an inaugural function, no inauguration was

Inclusion: New Innovations through

the MSKs

Box 7.16:

A 15 year old girl from Sadr block was left near a hospital.

A federation woman intervened and found that the girl’s

father had made her pregnant. The doctor denied the

possibility of an abortion and along with the media

publicized her condition. The federation woman

remonstrated them asking them not to mock at her

condition. The girl was mother-less and her father who

was mentally unstable used to abuse her along with his

friend. After this, the federation women took care of her.

When the Police asked to shift her to a safe place, the girl

was brought into the MSK. Here she was taken care of

well and could deliver her baby. Meanwhile other girls

were told that she was married. The child she delivered

was adopted. After successfully completing the MSK, the

girl was married.

Source: Interview with MS field staff, Muzaffarpur district, Bihar, July 2010.

Against all Odds

Women MSK students at Ranchi Central Jail

127

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

jails was running Jagjagi Kendras for the children of the 22prisoners . Seeing the programme, women expressed interest in

a similar initiative. Accordingly, a Mahila Shikshan Kendra was

started in the Central Jail in Ranchi, Jharkhand in April 2008.

The context, in which MSK runs here, however, is very different.

This being the central jail, prisoners have been convicted for

serious crimes ranging from theft to murder and some have been

imprisoned for life. The Superintendent reported that the biggest

problem is depression, since most of them are away from home

and not able to see their family members. Also, unlike a village

environment where women face problems of survival, these

women only think about their prospects of release, if any. The jail

authorities have introduced several initiatives like meditation

programmes and sports activities to keep them engaged. The

Superintendent also reported an increasing number of women

appearing for Open University programmes through

correspondence courses.

Legally while prisoners do not have rights which are available to

the common man, they do have some rights. The State

Programme Director (SPD) said that here too, legal literacy

programmes and information on women's rights is important.

Unlike the regular MSKs where the programme helps women

identify their own rights, in the prison it is often the other way,

where facilitators help women identify the rights that their victims

had. Women have been convicted for dowry harassment, murder

of their daughters-in-law or even mothers-in-law. The SPD

reported that many women have said that they would not have

committed such crimes, had they been aware of and conscious of

the rights of women with respect to marriage. While this

programme is very new and is still evolving, there is potential to

redefine the empowerment framework in such a scenario.

Another important difference in jails is the power relationships

between prisoners which made it difficult to foster equity among

women, like in the sanghas. Although, the initial model envisaged

creating teachers in the prisons, identifying the right candidates

was complicated. There were highly qualified women prisoners

who could teach the course content, but tended to dominate the

students. Therefore, MS has appointed two external teachers

who have been deputed in the prison with special permission

from the jail authorities. The course curriculum includes

mathematics, Hindi, environmental issues, drawing and songs.

Vocational skills are also imparted on sewing, production of jute

items, candles, pickles and papads (a savoury) which will help

women earn once released from jail. They are also taught about

reproductive health, menstrual issues and pregnancy

According to Mr. Deepak Kumar Vidyarthi, Superintendent, Bihar

Central Jail, “This successful programme motivates the inmates

and reduces their depression by making them study together in a

group. The programme is constructive, useful and must be

extended to other places. We are planning to replicate it in two

other central jails.”

The inmates say that MSK is appealing because there are many

group activities and lessons that relate to the real world. They

reported that they feel happy learning together and sometimes

fighting too! Within a short period, there have been some

success stories too. Monika Devi, a MSK student, was

incarcerated for life in the Central jail but was released. With

support from MS, she is currently a night guard in Asha Kiron

shelter home. Women in the jails also have started identifying the

need to educate their children. One of the women inmates has a

daughter and MSK has taken the responsibility of educating the

child. The girl now lives in the Ranchi MSK, goes to a regular

school and intends to study further while her mother serves her 23sentence in jail. “Their [MS'] work in jail where no other

organisation is working is outstanding. I had the opportunity to

meet these jail inmates and it was mesmerizing for me. The kind

of educational activities conducted by MSK is really admirable,”

says Anupam Srivastav, from CARE.

MS has now planned to conduct a Sammelan of MSKs within the

jail, so that students from the jails can also participate along with

the other girls and women from the regular MSKs. The

Superintendent also recommends that the programme adds more

varieties of vocational training so that trained women can be

linked to some industry. If they earn some money now and save

their earnings, when they are released, it can help them start a

small enterprise of their own. Currently the model is being tested

in the Central Jail, where many women are sentenced for life. If

the model can be worked out in other correctional facilities such

as district jails, open prisons or Borstal schools, which houses

22 Children of female prisoners are allowed to stay with their mother till six years 23 In conversation, State Program Director, Jharkhand, July, 2010

128

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

convicts with shorter sentences, the women would be able to use

their learning when they are released to live a different life. The

classic MS model with its holistic approach to empowerment

where initiatives are embedded in the sanghas cannot be easily

applied to the MSK innovation in jails.

MSK has been instrumental in creating role models from girls,

even from the most marginalised of communities. The MSK in

Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala have been able to adapt this

model to girls who have been through appalling experiences of

sexual abuse and rape, who come from broken families, whose

mothers suffer domestic violence, where fathers are alcoholics

and those subjected to sexual abuse within families. This MSK

functions as a special educational centre and focuses on healing

and enhancing the self-confidence and self-image of sexually

abused children. Most children who have been sexually abused

by relatives like their father or stepfather, often cannot return to

their own families. Information about such girls is usually given

by child welfare committees, police or the sanghas, who bring the

girl to the MSK. Many children are brought directly to the school

without informing the mother, who is often aware of the abuse

and sometimes even condones it.

The focus of MSK is on improving the academic performance of

children and on acquiring life-skills to become self-reliant. In this

special centre however, the focus shifts to healing the scars and

wounds caused by abuse, building the self-esteem of the children

and helping them feel secure and confident about themselves

and their bodies. Teachers and staff play an important role in

creating a positive, enabling environment. Professional

psychiatrists train all staff in the school on how to handle children

with special care. Intensive training is given to teachers to

enhance their emotional sensitivity and therefore strengthen their

ability to work with abused children. Teachers are made to

realise the delicate line that differentiates discipline from corporal

punishment which often ends in dehumanising abuse. No child is

ever asked about her past till she is willing to talk about it on her

own or express herself in writing. Strict norms are followed never

to probe but only to create a positive environment, to listen and to

let the child be herself. When required, children are given

medication for depression or anxiety. The effort is to make them

understand that they are not to blame for the abuse but that the

failure lies in the adults whose responsibility it was, to ensure

their safety.

Various skills such as dancing, singing, painting, theatre, and

MSK- succour for children subjected to sexual

abuse in Kerala

24 Sakshi Vs Union of India - A landmark Judgment lays down guidelines child friendly environment in holding trial of child sexual abuse : - A screen between the survivors/witnesses and the perpetrator; The Presiding Officer would put questions to the survivor or witnesses in a

language appropriate; The survivor during testimony should be allowed sufficient breaks as and when required.

Kalaripaittu, help children express their creativity and release

their pent-up and suppressed emotions. Kalaripaittu is a form of

martial arts which enhances the creativity of children, restores

physical and mental health and builds self-defence skills. It is

also a form of relaxation for the mind. Forums and space to

discuss problems, anxieties and apprehension are held every

evening and children learn to articulate their grievances, relieve

their pain, and analyze issues. This experience transforms the

child's self image about her body and helps erase any feeling of

guilt. MSK regularly hold a series of workshops for three or four

days called 'Adolescent Sanghamam', where the children can

interact with experts on different issues and get information. The

fact that there has been no instance of children running away

from the MSK is testimony to it being a safe and secure space,

both physically and emotionally for them. There have been

several cases of how girls have been rehabilitated from severe 24trauma. Box 7.17 illustrates how MSK provided counselling and

emotional support to a rape victim, while MS dealt with her

perpetrators.

These children appear for the equivalency exam for the fourth,

seventh and tenth standard exam conducted by the National

Literacy Mission. Many are sent for skills training to expand their

future employment avenues and gain self confidence. Unlike

other MSKs, here girls stay for three to four years till they become

self reliant. Once they graduate, many are able to earn their

living and live with dignity.

thGirls have been re-admitted to schools and have reached 11 and

Box 7.17:

In a controversial case, a girl was abused by 12 men

including her father and was sold to other men. The

adolescent child was given legal help. The case was tried 24according to Sakshi vs. Union of India guidelines using in-

camera and behind the screen proceedings. All 12 were

convicted. She and her younger siblings, two sisters and

one brother were deeply affected due to the physical

violence unleashed by their father. The boy had fits due to

fright and has now recovered after counselling and

emotional support. The girl had chest pain due to

harassment and has now recovered from depression and

fear. The entire family was rehabilitated. The accused,

who were highly influential and belonged to economically

powerful backgrounds, often threatened her, which she

could withstand only because of MS support.

Source: Correspondence with State Programme Director, Kerala Mahila

Samakhya Society.

Rehabilitation of a rape victim

129

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

th12 standards. They have learnt to make public speeches,

become champions in the game of kabbadi, are adept in theatre

and have performed most effectively for a collaborative

programme against smoking in Achuta Menon Centre, Sree

Chitra Institute of Medical Sciences.

A different model is followed in MSKs in Jharkhand where

sexually abused girls, often referred by Childline (toll free tele-25helpline for children and young people in distress) are inducted

along with other students. These MSKs also house orphans,

trafficked girls and girls working in brick kilns. Here, the effort is to

enable them to live in a community and to ensure that there is no

stigma associated with sexual abuse. Whenever necessary,

psychological counselling and treatment is provided. Teachers

are sensitised on how to handle such girls. An enabling

environment is a pre-requisite for recovery from trauma. Pupils

cannot study if they are not in a mental frame of mind that

enables them to achieve their educational aspirations.

Consequently, the psychological needs of young girls have to be

addressed first. Girls are encouraged to play, participate in group

exercises and feel accepted by the group for the first three

months of their stay. Only then do lessons begin.

Sexual abuse against adolescent girls has been a major obstacle

for their growth and is every parents biggest fear. The worst part

of this issue is the reaction of family members. It was found in a

study that in 95% of cases, the post-abuse reaction of the 26father/guardian/husband is oppressive rather than supportive.

The girls coming to these MSKs often cannot return to their

families. Empowering them as strong individuals with self-

esteem, with the ability to stand up for their rights and develop as

individuals who are not shackled by their past, is the most

significant contribution that MSKs make to these girls.

Overall Reflections, Challenges and

Recommendations

Challenges for the MSKs and KGBVs

The challenges faced in the adolescent initiatives are many and

require new strategies and thinking, not just for the Mahila

Samakhya but for government programmes and policies. For

instance, the recent announcement of the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme

for the Empowerment of Adolescent Girls also called SABLA aims

to empower girls between the ages of 11 to 18 and mainstream

out of school girls into regular schools. MS' work with

adolescents can help inform this programme which also intends

to provide life-skills and vocational training but lacks a gender 27perspective.

For the lessons to fructify, adolescent initiatives need to be

strongly embedded or at the least linked to the larger women's

movement and their collectives. All the initiatives of MS are

linked to the federations except for the KGBVs, especially in non-

MS operational areas. In MS run KGBVs, the sanghas and

sahayoginis are involved in mobilizing girls but not in monitoring

these institutions. To ensure community ownership and

engagement, the involvement of civil society institutions like MS

and people's organisations like the federations, helps girls realise

the objective of becoming change agents. Therefore, in non-MS

operational areas it would be important for civil society institutions

working with women and adolescent girls to play the mobilisation

and monitoring roles currently played by the federation. To this

end, MS and their federations would have to orient these civil

society institutions and community based organisations.

The reach of MSKs is currently limited being a residential,

fully-equipped, resource-intensive institution. For the fruits of this

MSK initiative to permeate into the larger school system, and

thereby increase its reach, it would be important for MS to take on

a different role altogether with the KGBVs and with residential

schools. For KGBVs, MS should simply engage in ensuring that

they retain the spirit of the original innovation on which the model

is based. With residential schools MS could consider a new pilot

innovation of managing only the residential part where it can build

in components such as the life skills, gender education and the

rights based educational approach and build the linkages to the

wider women's movement. Formal educational capacities would

then be taken care of by SSA while the gender-sensitised, rights-

based approach would be incorporated by MS through the

residential component.

25 http://www.childlineindia.org.in/1098/1098.htm26 Sinha, Ajit Kumar, Socio-Economic conditions of adolescent girls: A Case Study of Backward

District of Poverty Dominated States , report submitted to Planning Commission: Government of India, New Delhi , 2006.

27 Government of India, Ministry of Women and Child Development, No.6-12/2010-RGSEAG letter announcing the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for the Empowerment of Adolescent Girls dated 27/9/2010.

130

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

The MSK initiative has now ventured into experimenting with

difficult populations to ensure the inclusion of marginalised

groups. MSKs and KGBVs could draw on lessons from MS

Kerala and MS Jharkhand to continue to innovate on new models

for inclusion. Strategies they have used can be shared and

replicated, like those of creating a safe space, being proud of

their bodies through dance and drama, coming to terms with their

past experiences on sexual abuse through meditation and getting

the children to

accept that this was

not their fault to deal

with feelings of

shame. The lessons

from these initiatives

can also be

extended to schools

and institutions

working with

marginalised

populations.

The challenges

within the

programme lie in

mobilising the girls

particularly from

minority

communities. The

pressure from the

community might

prevent them from

joining or they drop-out of the MSK in the middle of the

programme. This defeats the main objective of helping drop-outs

and those who have never enrolled, to acquire elementary

education in a short span of time and mainstream them into

regular schools.

A major difficulty faced by the MSK girls seeking admission in

regular schools is that not all subjects are taught in the MSKs.

For example, science, history, geography and Sanskrit are not

part of the MSK curriculum. At present MSKs are not equipped to

teach these subjects, but they do prepare the girls in History and

Geography a month before the exams but not for science.

Therefore, it might be necessary to review the existing curriculum

of the MSKs and introduce other subjects necessary for the girls

to succeed in fulfilling the requirements of formal schools. MS

Bihar is considering extending the duration of MSKs from eight

months to eleven months which could allow them to revise their

curriculum and introduce new subjects.

Implications of the RTE for Jagjagi Kendra

The enforcement of The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory

Education (RTE) Act 2009 has meant that the Jagjagi Kendras are

now viewed differently by the state. The enforcement of the law

has led to closing down of several Jagjagi Kendras in Jharkhand, a

serious loss considering the important role these centres have

played in mainstreaming large numbers of children especially in

areas where children have poor access to schools. The Act has

the best of intentions in ensuring that all children between the ages

of 6 to 14 have access to free education. However, while

implementing the Act, some home truths need to be better 28understood. Report of the RTE Act by the Anil Bordia committee

states, Section 6 of the RTE Act, 2009 provides that the

appropriate Government and the local authority shall establish

within such area or limits of neighbourhood, as may be prescribed,

a school, where it is not so established, within a period of three

years from the commencement of the Act. Section 2(n) of the RTE

Act defines a school as a “recognised school imparting elementary

education.” The implication is that all Education Guarantee

Scheme centres currently running under SSA, numbering about

26,000 in 2009-10, will need to be upgraded to regular primary

schools within three years or close down. Similarly, Alternative

Innovative Education centres of various kinds (residential or non

residential) that have hitherto been funded under SSA, will have to

be recast to function as facilities for 'special training' as required

under Section 4 of the RTE Act.” The implications of the report are

very pertinent for the Jagjagi Kendras, since these low investment

schools cannot be turned into “recognised schools” with all

facilities stipulated by the RTE Act.

However, there are a few questions to be answered in the course

of implementation of this Act. The first question is about the

feasibility of the RTE, especially in the period of three years. As

stated earlier, close to 10 million children are out of school in rural

and urban areas. Studies have argued that, with the current

allocation of 6% of GDP on education, universal education

through government schools is not possible if all the teachers 29were to be paid as per the Sixth pay commission. It is not to say

that the state should not strive to provide good quality education

to poor and marginalised children, but rather to caution that while

enforcing the law and closing down such alternative schools,

many children will fall between the cracks and be left out of

school altogether. The second important question is based on

the understanding that lack of access is not just a physical notion,

but rather a far deeper emotional blockade in the minds of girls

and their parents. By making it a moral compulsion on parents

and the authorities to ensure that children are in school, parents

now do not have the right to keep their daughters engaged in

28 Report Of The Committee On Implementation Of The Right Of Children To Free & Compulsory Education Act, 2009 And the Resultant Revamp Of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, April 2010 http://ssa.nic.in/quality-of-education/rte-reporting-by-anil-bodia-committee

29 Pankaj S. Jain and Ravindra H. Dholakia Feasibility of Implementation of Right to Education Act, Economic and Political Weekly, June 20, 2009

131

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

household work at the cost of their education. However there is

no mechanism to help the girls who find it difficult to cope with the

subjects taught for her age group. The role played by the Jagjagi

Kendras in acting as a bridge to formal schools is precisely what

the new Act does not allow nor are there other provisions to

ensure this gap is filled.

Although the Act speaks about 'special training', it is in the context

of children not being able to cope with the syllabus once they are

in school. It would be ideal to have all girls studying in regular

schools with no need for the Kendras at all. But in an imperfect

world where new schools cannot emerge overnight, it is critical to

nurture these centres with even more care to provide the time

required for complementary formal mechanisms to emerge and

take the place of the Kendras. The Jagjagi model can also in fact

become the formal complementary bridge school mechanism that

gets children who have never enrolled in school or drop outs into

the mainstream. MS will have to play a critical role of advocacy in

ensuring that this model is not lost because of this well-intended

piece of legislation.

The biggest challenge for adolescent groups lies in their

temporary and somewhat fluid nature. When girls and boys

leave the village for higher studies or due to marriage, the groups

tend to break down. For this APMS has found a solution in the

form of alumni associations or youth groups for the few young

leaders who remain behind in the village. The links between

these adolescent initiatives and the larger movement become

even more important. Sanghas may need to induct Kishoris into

the sangha activities or encourage the formation of larger

collectives among Kishoris themselves. MSK and KGBV girls

may need to shadow the sangha women to learn how to form a

Kishori sangha so that they have peer support for collective

action to engage in social change. Nonetheless, it is expected

Challenges for the Bala Sanghams

that this generation of socially aware young girls, having

experienced the process of empowerment, would pass it on to

their children from the very beginning - giving birth to a generation

that can challenge patriarchy.

Sometimes the inability to approach higher authorities or

community leaders individually to advocate against an unfair

social practice remains difficult for these young leaders who may

not be taken seriously. In such cases a sangha representative

can be designated for the girls to approach. The exposure

meetings at cluster and block levels in Bala sanghams and

Kishori Manchas can facilitate peer exchange and learning.

Through these activities, the Bala Sanghams have earned the

legitimacy from both the village and Mandal Panchayat, where

the Mandal Panchayat and Mandal Educational Officer offered to

help the programme continue even after MS withdraws. Through

the Bala Panchayat advocacy initiatives, the legitimacy of the

Bala Sangham can be built by keeping officials informed about

their activities and working towards strengthening their voice and

sustaining the initiative even after MS withdrawal. Lessons from

this practice of peer exchange and interface with officials may be

important for other adolescent initiatives to help build peer

support and enable adolescents to act as pressure groups at

higher levels.

To conclude, all these adolescent models result in individual

empowerment. The Kishori Manchas and the Bala Sanghams

are empowered enough to act collectively as change agents

through campaigns and as pressure groups on social issues.

The MSKs and the KGBVs play an important role in individual

empowerment, especially by being a residential institution that

provides these girls a 'safe space' where they get to express

themselves freely. By being in a residential programme for eight

months without going back to a regressive society, these girls

experience a liberating environment for the first time in their lives.

This is the biggest advantage that the MSK and KGBV provide for

the girls. In the other practices, after a discussion on women's

rights and empowerment, these girls are put back into a

surrounding which does not reflect their dream. Therefore, these

girls have a tougher task of living in an unfair world and carrying a

vision along while doing so. This advantage in the MSK

translates into a rapid change in the girls in a very short period of

time, which takes years in the other practices.

The Kishori Manchas and Bala Sangham are platforms for

adolescents where the ideals of the sangha are taken forward

into the next generation. Some of the roles initially played by the

sanghas have now been shifted to Kishori Manchas. Educated

young girls of Kishori Mancha are helping Sanghas in

Impact Across Different Initiatives

132

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

30 documentation. The wide set of linkages that provide Kishori

sanghas with inputs ranging from bridge courses, life-skills,

gender education, leadership skills, vocational training and

recreation, results in a holistic development of girls.

Bala Sanghams and Kishori Manchas play a proactive role in

stopping early marriage, and raising awareness on child rights.

As seen from the experience of sanghas, the strength of the

collective is equally important, especially if an enabling

environment is to be created. In the collective, with their strong

awareness of rights, these girls and boys become agents of

change, not only for themselves but for the whole community.

Truly, they become tomorrow's leaders. The Bal Panchayat in the

Bala Sangham structure is a training ground for them in the

democratic process and their ability to act as pressure groups is

being built through these structures.

The Jagjagi Kendras lies in the middle of these two models.

Their biggest strength lies in the involvement of the community,

which in turn, sensitises citizens at large on the benefits of

education. In a non-confrontational manner, the JJK makes the

community realise that education means empowerment,

especially for girls. JJKs have rotated across the villages. Once

a JJK is established and girls have completed their course, the

demand for the Kendra actually reduces in that village because

parents by then start enrolling their children in regular schools.

This is testimony to the fact that, they are not static organisations

purely designed for educating girls but are a powerful change

agent which transforms the community wherever they are

established.

Overall these adolescent models prepare young girls and boys for

the future in multiple ways. They empower them with knowledge

of their rights so that they can challenge oppression in their lives

from the onset. Second they ensure that the second generation

is ready to take the movement forward. Most importantly, they act

as a channel for adolescents to access education and open up

future options through which their aspirations can both grow and

be realised.

30 Assam Mahila Samata Society, (AMSS), Annual report 2007-08: p. 11

Figure 7.1 Impact Across Adolescent Initiatives

REGULAR SCHOOL

Education for MainstreamingCommunity attitude towards

educationAwareness of rights

Individual Empowerment

Education for mainstreaming Change agents

Individual empowermentAwareness of rights

Leadership SkillsSafe space for self expression

Life skillsVocational exposure

Awareness of rightsCollective strength

Collective Action (campaigns on education, child marriage, alcoholism)

Gender SensitisationLeadership skills

Community SupportPeer Exchanges and Learning

Individual EmpowermentLife skills

Vocational exposure

Main impact Additional impact

Sangha

Kishori Mancha

Bala Sangham

KGBV

MSK

Jagjagi Kendra

133

EMPOWERING ADOLESCENTS THROUGH EDUCATION

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