A Study of Relationship Between Problems and Empowerment of

Adolescent Girls of Uttar Pradesh

By: Rachna Sharma

Guided By: Dr. Neerja Dhankar

Introduction • Uttar Pradesh is the most populous state in the

country with a population of 16.6 crore (2001 Census). It is also the fourth largest state in geographical area covering 9.0 per cent of the country’s geographical area.

• According to the Uttar Pradesh Govt. sources, female life expectancy is less than 55 years and the under-five mortality rate is as high as 141 per thousand.

• Female literacy situation in Uttar Pradesh is dismal with the literacy rate for females being abysmally low at 42.98% as against 70.23% for males.

Contd.

• After various efforts by government, NGO’s and social scientists the phenomenal women empowerment is not taking real shape due to the ignorance of nutritional status in rural areas.

• Girls are less encouraged than boys to participate in and learn about the social, economic and political functioning of society, with the result that they are not offered the same opportunities as boys to take part in decision-making processes.

Need of the Study • It has the social relevance to study the problems of

girls because from the beginning of their lives, girls are socialized to accept male domination and ignore their own needs.

• Discrimination against the girl child in health, nutrition and education is heightened in adolescence.

• The study aims at the educational and health problems of the adolescent girls in Uttar Pradesh in relation to their Empowerment Level.

• It is hoped that this attempt would contribute towards creating safer and supportive environment for the holistic development and improved status of adolescent girls of UP.

Objectives of the study: • To study the empowerment level of adolescent girls of Uttar

Pradesh. • To study the level of educational problems of adolescent girls of

Uttar Pradesh. • To study the level of health problems of adolescent girls of

Uttar Pradesh. • To study the relationship between the educational problems

and the empowerment of adolescent girls of Uttar Pradesh. • To study the relationship between the health problems and the

empowerment of adolescent girls of Uttar Pradesh • To study the difference in the empowerment levels of

adolescent girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad. • To study the difference in the educational problems of

adolescent girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad. • To study the difference in the health problems of adolescent

girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad.

Hypothesis of the study:

• There is no significant relationship between the educational problems and the empowerment of adolescent girls of Uttar Pradesh.

• There is no significant relationship between the health problems and the empowerment of adolescent girls of Uttar Pradesh

• There is no significant difference in the empowerment levels of adolescent girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad.

• There is no significant difference in the educational problems of adolescent girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad.

• There is no significant difference in the health problems of adolescent girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad.

Methodology

• Design of the study: In the present study descriptive survey method was used.

• Sample: A purposive sample of 150 adolescent girls studying in senior secondary schools in Meerut and Ghaziabad was taken.

Tools of the study:

• Adolescence Girls’ Empowerment scale by Devender Singh Sisodia and Alpana Singh.

• Adolescent Girls’ Health Problem Scale (developed by the investigator).

• Adolescent Girls’ Educational Problem Scale (developed by the investigator).

Statistical techniques:

• Percentage,

• T-test and

• Pearson’s ‘r’ were used to analyze the data and test the null hypotheses.

Analysis and Interpretation:

• Objective1: To study the empowerment level

of adolescent girls of Uttar Pradesh.

Empowerment Levels

No. Of Girls %age of Girls

(N=150)

High 95 63.33%

Average 55 36.66%

Low 00

Contd.

• Objective2: To study the level of educational problems of adolescent girls of Uttar Pradesh.

Educational Problems

No. of Girls %age of Girls

(N=150)

High 11 7.33%

Moderate 108 72%

Low 31 21%

Contd.

• Objective3: To study the level of health problems of adolescent girls of Uttar Pradesh.

Health Problems

No. of Girls %age Of Girls

(N=150)

High 9 6%

Moderate 118 78.66%

Low 23 15.33%

Contd.

• There is no significant relationship between the educational problems and the empowerment of adolescent girls of Uttar Pradesh.

N ‘r’ Level of Significant

Meerut 75 0.97

At 0.05 and 0.01

SIGNIFICANT

Ghaziabad 75

Contd.

• Ho2: There is no significant relationship between the health problems and the empowerment of adolescent girls of Uttar Pradesh.

N ‘r’ Level of

significance

Meerut 75 0.94

At 0.05 and 0.01

level

SIGNIFICANT

Ghaziabad 75

Contd.

• Ho3: There is no significant difference in the empowerment levels of adolescent girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad.

N ‘t’ Level of Significance

Meerut 75 0.31

At 0.05 and 0.01 Level

NOT SIGNIFICANT

Ghaziabad 75

Contd.

• Ho4: There is no significant difference in the educational problems of adolescent girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad.

N ‘t’ Level of

Significance

Meerut 75 0.26 At 0.05 and 0.01 NOT SIGNIFICANT

Ghaziabad 75

Contd. • Ho1: There is no significant relationship

between the educational problems and the empowerment of adolescent girls of Uttar Pradesh.

Health Problems

N ‘t’ Level of Significance

Meerut 75 0.29

At 0.05 and 0.01

NOT SIGNIFICANT

Ghazibad 75

Major Findings

• There is positive significant relationship between health problems and empowerment, which indicates that the good health leads to high empowerment level among girls.

• There is no significant difference between the empowerment levels of adolescent girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad.

• There is no significant difference between the educational problems of adolescent girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad.

• There is no significant difference between the health problems of adolescent girls of Meerut and Ghaziabad.

Implications

For Administrators and Principals:

• Efficient and trained teachers should be appointed.

• School timings and holidays should be planned according to the local needs.

• In order to make the appropriate curriculum, stress should be given on inclusion of social work to develop life skills and empowerment level of girls.

• Good quality of food should be distributed under Mid- Day Meal policy to ensure good health of the children.

• Free medical checkups should be organized at regular interval of times, in schools.

For Teachers

• Present study will help the teachers to understand the problems of the girls and help them to solve their problems.

• Girls may be encouraged and helped to choose the subject according to their interest and ability.

• Girls should be educated about menstruation cycle and about health and hygiene during the cycle.

• Sex education should also be given at school level to avoid teenage pregnancies.

For Parents

• Few parents have shown less interest towards the girl’s education; this study will make aware them about the health and education related issues of their daughters and would be able to eliminate such problems to improve their empowerment level.

• Parents will also encourage their daughters to go for higher education also.

• Parents will come to know about various government policies related to girls’ education like- Ladli Yojna, Kishori Shakti Yojna and Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyan.

• Parents would encourage their daughters to participate in various social activities to improve their empowerment level.

For Policy Makers • Girls are capable of doing any thing but they are not

getting proper environment and opportunities to develop their talents. So the formulated polices must be religiously implemented.

• Also, they are less informed so in remote areas awareness among parents and girls may be spread through mass media: - posters, TV, Radio or Short films.

• Lack of awareness among the parents owing to the fact that majority of them illiterate does not allow them to open up. In this respect awareness campaigns need to be launched to convince that girls have equal right to get education like their brothers.

Conclusion • In the present study the investigator aimed to have

study of relationship between educational and health problems and empowerment of adolescent girls of UP.

• For this purpose 150 adolescent girls have been taken as sample.

• This study indicates the positive relationship between problems (educational & health) and empowerment.

• The study implies that better educational and health facilities for girls leads to high level of empowerment.

THANKYOU