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Gender

Gender equality is a critical component of nation-building and overall development, yet it remains a global challenge. According to the World Economic Forum’s 2020 report, India ranks 112th out of 153 countries in terms of gender equality. Aspire recognizes this issue and is working tirelessly to bridge the gap.

Child Marriage

One of our primary focus areas is the prevention of child marriage. Despite the Prohibition of Child Marriage (Amendment) Bill, 2021, Jharkhand and West Bengal continue to have the highest number of child marriages in India. This number has only increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Odisha, we have successfully stopped 236 out of 460 identified child marriages, and in Kharagpur-I block of West Bengal and Noamundi and Jagannathpur blocks of Jharkhand, we have prevented 96 cases of child marriages. Through close collaboration with adolescents, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders, we create awareness and mobilize them to become active agents in stopping or reporting child marriages in their area.

Residential Bridge Course (RBC) Centers

We also provide education and support to vulnerable adolescent girls, who are often at risk of child marriage and have limited access to education. Through our Residential Bridge Course program, we have integrated rescued girl children from child marriages, trafficking, and child labor into formal schooling. We have 41 RBCs in Odisha and Jharkhand, including 12 girls-only RBCs in Odisha. With a focus on promoting a comfortable learning environment, we provide education, menstrual health and hygiene support, counseling sessions, and more. Our work also includes providing teacher training to eradicate gender bias in the education system, as discriminatory teaching practices and education materials can produce gender gaps.

Adolescent Empowerment

We conduct awareness programs on health, hygiene, nutrition, mental health, life skills, leadership, gender, the Indian constitution, citizenship, and more for both boys and girls, with special sessions for adolescent girls to discuss issues of child marriage, child labor, and the importance of educating girls. We provide digital literacy training to adolescents through our Community Education Resource Centers, where our teachers provide training on software like CorelDraw, Excel, Tally, etc., to help girls compete in the job market.

Self-Help Group (SHG)

We also work to enhance the economic independence of women through our Self Help Group training. Aspire staff supports existing SHGs in Odisha and Jharkhand, organizing meetings to raise awareness on issues such as child marriage, child labor, women’s equality, health, and nutrition, and addressing cases of domestic violence. SHG women support us in updating the Village Education Registers (VERs) to track children who have dropped out of school and help anganwadi staff in their duties. We provide skill training programs for SHG women on farming, mushroom cultivation, culture fisheries, and more at our Community Education Resource Centers.

SCHOOL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE (SMCs)

Our engagement with the School Management Committee members aims to increase women’s participation in school management and ensure a gender-responsive and inclusive policy outlook. We orient elected SMC members, many of them women, on their roles and responsibilities, the provisions of the RTE Act, and raise their awareness about child rights, child labor, and child marriage issues.

Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS)

Finally, we facilitate the smooth and effective functioning of the Integrated Child Development Services, which aims to improve the health and nutrition of children under 6 years of age, as well as their mothers. Through capacity building of anganwadi workers, strengthening the mothers’ and monitoring committee, and facilitating preparation of Anganwadi Development Plans, we ensure that the ICDS program runs efficiently and effectively. Aspire’s impact so far includes orienting and training 1,437 anganwadi workers, training 8,087 members of the mothers’ committee, and 4,095 members of the monitoring committee.

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Aspire - A Society for Promotion of Inclusive and Relevant Education

1st & 2nd Floors
B117, Sarvodaya Enclave
New Delhi - 110017

+91 01146516788
contactus@aspire-india.org

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Logo: Professor Amit Sheth
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