Gender-Equality Programme

In India, child marriages, domestic violence, lack of access to education and health, and economic backwardness have been the major challenges contributing to unhealthy sexual and reproductive practices among women and adolescent girls. Although the age of marriage in India is increasing, 23.3% of women aged 20-24 years are married before 18 years of age (NFHS-5 2019-21). In addition, 48% of girls with no education, and 40% of girls from lowest quintile (in household wealth) are married before 18 years of age (NFHS-5 2019-21). In 2023, India has been ranked 127th on Gender Gap Index released by World Economic Forum (WEF), indicating that wider disparities exist between men and women in terms of economic opportunities. In addition, India showed only 36.7% parity when it comes to even access for men and women for economic participation and opportunity. Access to education is another challenge, as girls especially from disadvantages communities, drop out of education due to child labor, early marriage, or early pregnancy. As women do not get educated, there is a negative impact on the children which is evolving to be a cyclical and intergenerational issue. As per National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5 2019-21), literacy rate among women (15-49 years) has been 71.5%. However, when observed closely, only 41% of women had 10 or more years of schooling. This reflects severe gaps in girls completing education, which results in fewer employment opportunities and narrow chances for financial independence. 

Availability, accessibility, and affordability of quality healthcare is another detrimental factor, as young girls, women, and pregnant women are facing health issues. As per the latest NFHS-5 data, 18.7% of women aged 15-49 years were below the normal BMI (Body Mass Index), yet at the same time 24% women in the same age group were overweight or obese. In addition, 56.7% of women had high risk waist-to-hip ratio. With respect to anemia, 59.1% of girls aged 15-19 years were anemic; 57.2% of all women age 15-49 years were anemic; and 52.2% of pregnant women age 15-49 years were anemic. Further, the prevalence of high blood sugar (15.6%) and hypertension (21.3%) was also found to be high among women aged 15-49 years. Although cervical cancer and breast cancer are major types of cancer among women, only 1.9% and 0.9% of women aged 30-49 years have ever undergone a screening test for cervical and breast cancer respectively. On one hand the percentage of married women aged 15-49 years who usually participate in three household decision increased to 88.7%, but on the other hand 29.3% of ever married women aged 18-49 years experienced spousal violence.

  The above-mentioned indicators are being targeted by Sukarya for not only promoting good sexual and reproductive health choices, but also empowering girls and women to make right life choices. By providing access to education and health, and providing avenues for women empowerment, Sukarya has been driving change at grassroot level.        

Sukarya’s innovation is in the methodology of implementation of activities and grassroot engagement with communities and young girls. By addressing socio-economic, educational, health, and awareness dimensions, Sukarya engages with adolescent girls in urban slums to empower them realize their true potential. The Gender-Equality programme aims to provide basic knowledge and awareness to adolescent girls (aged 10-19) on reproductive and sexual health, build their knowledge and skills on family life, educate them on basic digital skills to enhance their abilities and employability, and provide better understanding of gender discrimination, social stigma issues and challenges. Additionally, the programme aims to teach the impact of Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) for maintaining good health at the community level, community engagement and communication.

At the grassroots level the programmatic aspects include:

• Creating awareness about reproductive and sexual health issues/rights.
• Equip girls in basic self-defense techniques to help prevent sexual assault.
• Generate awareness of gender rights and equality, fostering more positive self-perspectives.
• Work in tandem with key stakeholders, such as community-based health workers, government workers, and schools to build an environment conducive to addressing these issues. 
• Train adolescent girl peer leaders or lead girls.
• Educate girls through non-formal education at their doorstep, using a bus well equipped with stationary, computers, and teaching staff.
• Provide basic healthcare and awareness about key topics like menstrual hygiene, importance of nutrition, and risks associated with early pregnancies.

The programme is stringently monitored to ensure the desired outcomes, with focus on quality of dialogue and communication, implementation of practiced and evidence-based activities, and verifying the accuracy and reliability of the collected data. The following Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are assessed for measuring the progress achieved:

• Participation rates.
• Number of community volunteers.
• Successful community partnerships.
• Active community involvement.
• Covering all planned topics.
• Loss to follow up or continuity.
• Quality of session as feedback from the participants.
• Community feedback.

The above solution encompasses education and health, poverty reduction, overcoming gender biases, and sexual and reproductive health education. One of the core ideas of the program is to create leaders from the communities to act as social drivers of change. This ensures that the program remains sustainable, and the delivered interventions yield long term impact. The innovation component in Sukarya’s solution is in its customized approach tailored to fit in the socio-cultural diversity manifested in urban slums of Delhi & Delhi NCR. Moreover, the field team delivering planned activities come from similar backgrounds as the targeted communities, therefore communicating the message becomes easier. Added to this, Sukarya believes in building leaders and change makers from the targeted communities, as they become the beacon of change to reinforce and propagate the evidence-based learnings among the disadvantaged and marginalized.  

Link to Gender Equality Programme impact story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8TR2o323gY&t=57s

Under the gender equality programme adolescent girls (age 10-19 years) and young women living in urban slums of Delhi and Delhi NCR, are the targeted population. Urban slums in Delhi and Delhi NCR are mostly populated by migrant population with families coming for employment opportunities from across India. As most of these communities depend on daily wages, it is essential for most of the family members to work for sustenance. In addition, majority of individuals are not educated, and even if some are educated, it is not beyond secondary education. Communities in urban slums either belong to the lower class or Below Poverty Line (BPL) sections. They face numerous challenges like poor housing conditions, very high population density, lack of access to basic amenities (electricity, purified drinking water, sanitation, and drainage systems), poor nutrition, limited access to education & healthcare, poverty, and frequent relocation. 

Status of adolescent girls and young women (target groups) in slums of Delhi and Delhi NCR is no different. They face challenges and societal pressures which prevent them from achieving their full potential. Limited access to education due to child marriages, lack of infrastructure & safety, financial constraints, gender bias, and social pressure is prevalent. Although healthcare services are available, they are unaffordable and awareness about preventive health practices is minimal. Further lack of hygiene facilities, nutrition, sexual and reproductive healthcare services lead to high rates of malnutrition, anemia, early pregnancies, and maternal mortality. Unsafe public spaces, lack of streetlights, and limited awareness about support services increase their vulnerability for exposure to violence, sexual assault, and abuse. Child marriages may have shown a decline over the years, but they are still prevalent, and contribute to perpetual poverty and gender inequality. Limited access to formal job opportunities, skills training, and lack of awareness about their rights, gender biases, and societal norms further limit their ability to participate in workforce.  

Sukarya’s gender equality programme addresses the above-mentioned barriers through a systematic and evidence-based approach. Understanding the needs and challenges of adolescent girls in the targeted geographies has played a very important role in designing customized and socially acceptable solutions. By providing access to education, healthcare services, and promoting awareness about hygiene and nutrition the program empowers adolescent girls and young women to take informed decisions. In addition, imparting awareness about their rights and support systems builds confidence in them to overcome societal pressures and report abuse. Through these the program enables adolescent girls and young women to make better sexual and reproductive health choices and foster a supportive environment that values their rights and aspirations.     

Sukarya’s strong presence in the communities it works with, is reflected in the impact achieved by the programmes. One of the key strengths of Sukarya’s gender equality programme, is its strong program implementation at the grassroots level. Through this approach Sukarya has been able to increase community engagement which has helped in tapping into the local expertise, resources, and knowledge, thereby fostering a sense of ownership and engagement within the community. Further the programme activities are tailored to the local needs of adolescent girls and young women, along with considering the socio-cultural aspects of the targeted community. This has increased the likelihood of success and ensured that resources are utilized effectively in the gender equality programme. The solution is delivered by a field team who work closely with adolescent girls and young women in identifying their needs, challenges, and plausible solutions that can be fruitful. As a result of these interactions the existing program activities are modified using new approaches and practices to bring about a positive change.

The program empowers adolescent girls and young women to directly make an impact on the issues that affect them, and by constructive action make a difference in their own lives and their communities. This programme builds champions and change makers among the communities, who become the voice of inspiration for other adolescent girls and young women. By relying on volunteers, local resources, and collaboration, costs are significantly reduced making this solution a practical and sustainable option, especially in resource limited urban slum communities. From the stage of needs assessment to program completion, team representatives work in tandem with the target population identifying their barriers and finding ways to address them. Community and participant feedback is obtained in a detailed manner with questionnaires and one-on-one participant interviews. Feedback in incorporated in customizing the program for long term impact. Community engagement from the beginning also helps our program in building social cohesion among the participants and establishes local networks that make the program sustainable.  

5000 adolescent girls

The need for empowering adolescent girls towards making better sexual and reproductive health (SRH) choices has been an unmet need for a long time. However, as the importance of gender equality and its contribution to economic development was recognized, addressing the challenges for adolescent girl empowerment became an essential need. Blooming growth of urban centers encouraged migration from villages to cities, and urban slums have grown in India due to the widening economic disparities. Further, the socio-cultural diversity in India, necessitated an innovative approach to address the gaps in SRH needs of adolescent girls.

Innovation in Sukarya’s “Gender Equality Programme” is a combination of meaningful use of existing technologies and novel processes that take a multifaceted approach in addressing SRH challenges of adolescent girls. Sukarya leverages the grassroots method as a powerful tool to challenge cultural norms by providing knowledge to girls and fostering community dialogue for ensuring sustainability. The programme encompasses comprehensive SRH education, which is age appropriate, interactive, and inclusive. Delivering information and knowledge about puberty, menstruation, gender, rights, and consent, the programme is designed to address all key components associated with adolescent SRH. In collaboration with local schools, community leaders, and healthcare providers a network of support is created to ensure that girls continue to receive education and guidance customized to their needs. 

As a sustainability driver, girls from the targeted communities are trained and empowered to act as mentors and add a layer of peer support. These mentors act as agents of change as they guide other girls through challenges, provide emotional support, share their personal experiences, and create a safe and trusted environment for open discussion. Relationships built by the mentors foster self-esteem, resilience, and social bonds, enabling girls to navigate complex decisions with confidence. Last but not the least, to bring about positive cultural change awareness campaigns, workshops, and public discussions involving parents, teachers, and community members are organized. Through these initiatives the programme helps dispel myths and misconceptions surrounding SRH and promote empathy and understanding, and collective responsibility towards adolescent girls. Through this, Sukarya’s innovative programme promotes critical thinking among girls to understand their bodies, rights, and make informed SRH choices for healthier life and better future.

A major impact goal of Sukarya’s gender equality programme is to positively influence various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) like gender equality, quality education, health and well-being, poverty eradication, and reduced inequalities. Promoting girls’ autonomy is one of the impact goals, as it helps them make informed decisions and improve their self-esteem. The idea is to help address discriminatory practices and norms which hinder girls’ access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. Further, the program contributes towards enhancement of adolescent girls education (SDG 4), by providing a platform for school dropouts to continue their education thereby overcoming barriers like poverty, child marriage, and cultural norms. The program helps girls attain education improving their learning outcomes, and ultimately bridging gender gaps in education. 

By imparting awareness about good SRH practices, and providng access to SRH resources and care, the program promotes health and well-being (SDG 3). By delivering evidence-based information about healthy SRH choices, the program impacts teenage pregnancies, maternal mortality, limiting spread of sexually transmitted infections, address nutrition and mental health issues, and promote overall hygiene. Poverty eradication (SDG 1) is another impact goal, as the program equips girls with education and provides a platform for them to understand economic empowerment. Further, by informing about the vulnerabilities faced by adolescent girls in the society and at workplaces and ways to tackle them, the program promotes their safety. All the above constitute Sukarya’s impact goals for the next year, with improved coverage and outreach to adolescent girls in need of empowerment. 

For the next five years, Sukarya envisions to empower adolescent girls on SRH, family life, and gender education. Moreover, these girls would be trained to be the peers to other adolescents living in their communities, thus becoming champions of change. The idea is to catalyze social change from within these communities to bring a sustainable and positive impact on adolescent girls.

Sukarya’s Gender Equality Programme’s impact can be better explained with Theory of Change, as detailed below:

• Problem Statement: Adolescent girls belonging to lower socio-economic strata in urban slums of Delhi & Delhi NCR, face numerous challenges with respect to SRH choices. However, only meeting SRH needs is not sufficient as the other social determinants must be addressed to achieve socially relevant and sustainable positive change for SRH. 
• Assumptions: 
  • Delivery of culturally sensitive, socially relevant, and evidence based SRH information will result in better acceptance along with a positive change in urban slum communities.
  • Addressing social determinants of SRH ensures program sustainability and strengthens fight against early childhood marriage and pregnancy.
  • When adolescent girls make evidence based informed SRH choices the health outcomes improve including maternal and child health.
  • Empowering adolescent girls in urban slums with better SRH choices leads to positive effects on their families, communities, and societies.
• Inputs:
  • Funding, field team, evidence based and culturally sensitive content, outreach for mobilizing adolescent girls, and other resources.
  • Collaborating with local stakeholders (community leaders and influencers), schools, healthcare providers, and parents.
  • Knowledge, and expertise of SRH, public health, and social work professionals for keeping program technically strong.
• Activities:
  • SRH education: 
    • Designing content based on the identified needs and requirements of adolescent girls in the targeted communities.
    • Curriculum based SRH education which covers adolescent sexual health, menstrual hygiene, nutrition, basic rights, family life skills and gender knowledge.
  • Life skills training:
    • Providing training on communication, leadership, decision making, confidence building, and problem solving for empowering adolescent girls to make their own decisions about education, careers, and relationships.
    • Training on these life skills helps girls to overcome or navigate societal pressures.
  • Digital literacy and technology training:
    • Providing access to basic digital literacy for encouraging girls to pursue technology training to gain skills.
    • Introducing girls to online learning sources through digital literacy for continuing non-formal or vocational education.
  • Mentorship and champions of change:
    • Connect girls with successful mentors in their communities to gain inspiration and build their confidence by learning from the mentors.
    • Identifying champions in the program and driving positive change through them in their respective communities or peer groups.
  • Monitoring & Evaluation:
    • Regularly monitor and evaluate the program for ensuring the desired effectiveness. 
    • Use data to assess program impact and make future decisions.
• Outputs:
  • Increased awareness about importance of SRH. 
  • Improved self-confidence.
  • Girls acquiring practical skills for personal and professional development.
  • Improved engagement in education and academic performance.
• Outcomes:
  • Reduction in gender-based discrimination and violence against adolescent girls.
  • Improved community attitudes.
  • Improved agency and leadership.
  • Economic empowerment of girls.
  • Sustainable change.

Gender equality, social inclusion, accountability, and sustainability continue to be the strong foundations based on which the program has been delivering impact at grassroot levels. 

Field staff: 4

Professional consultants for training: 4

The program has been in existence since 6 years, as the program has been in operation since 2017.

Sukarya believes that diversity, equity, and inclusivity at all levels strengthens the organization and improves overall program impact, as the team is also adhering to same values. As a volunteer driven grassroots level organization, inclusivity and diversity are given paramount importance from hiring team members to beneficiaries covered under the program. Discrimination based on religion, region, socioeconomic status, sex, or any other reason is strictly prohibited. All program beneficiaries irrespective of their background or status are provided with the planned SRH activities. So far the program has benefitted diverse communities and beneficiaries living in urban slums of Delhi, coming from across India. 

Sukarya as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) working at the grassroots level has been incorporating various elements in its business model to ensure effective operations and sustainable impact. These components are:

• There is a focus on customer segments where marginalized groups, underprivileged individuals, or communities facing social challenges are targeted through the program.
• The value proposition for Sukarya’s programs lie in the way the solutions are tailored to address social problems. Based on the targeted communities needs, programs are customized to provide access to education, healthcare including Maternal Child Health & Nutrition, livelihood opportunities, WASH techniques for hygiene, and women empowerment through Self Help Groups (SHGs). All programs have the same goal of improving quality of life of communities in which they serve.
• A large network of communication channels are established for each program to reach the target beneficiaries effectively. Some of these including partnerships with local organizations already serving the communities, and community leaders. In addition, other communication channels like social media, community events, or word of mouth are also utilized to improve the reach and improve program impact.
• As a grassroots level organization Sukarya believes in building strong relationships with program beneficiaries by enabling them to raise their voices to meet their needs. This is achieved through ongoing engagement by empowering beneficiaries become change makers in their communities, gathering continuous feedback through change makers to understanding evolving needs, and maintaining a close connection with the community leaders. 
• Sukarya relies on diversified revenue streams to sustain programs and achieve planned social objectives. These revenue streams include a combination of fundraising, grant writing, donor contributions, corporate partnerships, and collaboration with other Non-Governmental Organizations or Government agencies. Sukarya USA, is the fiscal sponsor of Sukarya which helps in raising funds for all programs at the international level. These revenue streams help sustain programs and continue delivering effective solutions.
• To further Sukarya’s mission and vision the business model revolves around community outreach, capacity building, advocacy, service delivery, and awareness campaigns as key activities to create lasting social impact. 
• Last but not the least, any business model is incomplete without the utilization of sufficient resources to implement programs and initiatives. The key resources include financial resources, skilled staff and volunteers, physical infrastructure, access to information, technology, and partnerships with knowledge bodies and other relevant stakeholders.

Majority of Sukarya’s work is currently being funded by donations from various sources, including fundraising events. Sukarya plans to become financially sustainable through donations. However, Sukarya is planning to expand avenues for financial resources and improve sustainability by applying for grants, and other funding opportunities that are in line with Sukarya’s mission and vision.