Jharkhand
The first stop in the bus tour was Gumla where the girl champions interacted with the local Zilla Parishad Head, and over 120 participants including community leaders, adolescents and non-governmental organizations.
From there, the bus travelled to Simdega where girl champions met with over 100 local dignitaries including Pramod Sinha, Civil Surgeon, Pushpa Kullu, a member of Simdega Nagar Parishad, along with health workers, community leaders, government representatives, NGOs and key stakeholders during a rally to present their experiences and recommendations.
From there, the bus travelled to Simdega where girl champions met with over 100 local dignitaries including Pramod Sinha, Civil Surgeon, Pushpa Kullu, a member of Simdega Nagar Parishad, along with health workers, community leaders, government representatives, NGOs and key stakeholders during a rally to present their experiences and recommendations.
Girl Champions during the Ab Meri Baari rally in Simdega
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Girl Champions in Gumla brought alive their situation through a moving play on child marriage
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“While conducting interviews for the score cards, we got the opportunity to interact with government officials and front line health workers who ensure the delivery of adolescent focused programs and schemes. It allowed us to understand their point of view and provide them recommendations for improvement of service delivery through collective action.” |
In Ranchi, over 60 girl champions presented a charter of ten bold recommendations to government representatives, front line health workers, community leaders, non-governmental organizations, and peers. The girl champions raised important gaps and asked for improved access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR), education, safety and nutrition to prevent teenage pregnancies, discontinuation of education, early marriage and a higher vulnerability to domestic violence and sexual abuse.
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Nitin Kulkarni, Secretary, Department of Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education, Government of Jharkhand speaking about the Charter of Recommendations
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In Ranchi, Girl Champions got a chance to interact with a host of government representatives and community workers to put forward their recommendations
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“The information and data which has come out of Ab Meri Baari initiative is a huge learning for us. We will try that the gaps identified by the girl champions are filled and immediate action is taken on the same.” |
VOICES FROM THE BUS TOUR
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“The challenges faced by Jharkhand’s adolescents cut across many social issues. The social audit data obtained from 63 villages highlight a need for schools, primary health care centers, local governing bodies and communities to be well equipped for improvement in Sexual and Reproductive Health rights (SRHR). This can be made possible by creating collaborations across government departments, NGOs and experts.” |
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“Prior to the scorecard exercise, I’ve never had the opportunity to engage with the Child Development Project Officer (C.D.P.O.). Through the scorecard, I could discuss and voice my challenges. I gained extensive details on all my questions and had an engaging conversation related to health and nutrition.” |
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“In Jharkhand, there is a tradition of women being active participants in their own empowerment. The ‘Ab Meri Baari’ girl champions are staying true to this tradition and are excellent role models within the community.” |