Life Skills 1

1
Life Skills 1
Impact of Life Skills Education on Age at
Marriage of Adolescent Girls Manisha Khale,
Ashok Dyalchand, Kathleen Kurz
31st Annual GHC Conference June 1 - 4, 2004
Institute of Health Management, Pachod
in collaboration with
International Centre for Research on Women
2
Life Skills 2
Institute of Health Management Pachod
Project supported by Christian Aid, UK, ICCO,
Netherlands Research supported by Ford
Foundation Rockefeller Foundation
3
Life Skills 3
Preparatory Phase
Conceptual Model
4
Life Skills 4
Preparatory Phase
Needs Assessment - Quantitative
5
Life Skills 5
Preparatory Phase
Needs Assessment - Quantitative
6
Life Skills 6
Preparatory Phase
Source IHMP, 1998-99
7
Life Skills 7
Preparatory Phase
Needs Assessment - Qualitative

• Restriction on mobility after reaching puberty
• Girls have heavy work-load compared to boys
• Poor menstruation hygiene
• Poor communication between mothers and daughters
  regarding reproduction and sexuality
• Low confidence, self esteem, decision making
• Married early, attain motherhood prior to
  adulthood

8
Life Skills 8
Preparatory Phase
Curriculum Developed With Participation of
9
Life Skills 9
Implementation Phase
Life Skills Course
10
Life Skills 10
Implementation Phase
Objectives of the Life Skills Course

• Delay age at marriage for adolescent girls
• Improve social status through skills related to
  gender, legal literacy, team building, etc.
• Improve health status by increasing their
  cognitive and practical skills in health and
  nutrition.
• Promote self development, increase
  self-confidence through community and individual
  projects.

11
Life Skills 11
Implementation Phase
Life Skills Course

• 225 one-hour sessions
• Designed for a grassroots trainer

12
Implementation Phase
Life Skills 12
Scope of Life Skills

• 1. Social Issues and Institutions
• 2. Local Bodies
• 3. Life Skills
• 4. Child Health and Nutrition
• 5. Reproductive and Sexual Health
• 6. Legal Literacy / Womens Rights
• 7. Vocational Training
• 8. Gender Sensitization

13
Life Skills 13
Implementation Phase
Projects
Non-Formal Education
Community Nutrition Education

• BCC by Adolescent Girls and Life Skills Teachers

• School-going Girls Teach Non-school-going Girls

14
Life Skills 14
Impact Phase
Impact on Community Demand
15
Life Skills 15
Impact Phase
Median Age at Marriage and Percent Girls Getting
Married Before Age 18, IHMP Project Area
16
Life Skills 16
Impact Phase
After Life Skills Education - Girls Less Likely
to Marry lt 18 Years Logistic regression
Pseudo R square 0.2436 Reference
category p lt0.05 p lt0.001 NS Not
significant
17
Life Skills 17
Impact Phase
Girls Never Attended Course, 2.6 Times More
Likely to Marry Before Age 18
Logistic regression
Pseudo R square 0.1543 Reference
category p lt0.05
18
Life Skills 18
Impact Phase
Meera Wagh
19
Life Skills 19
Impact Phase
Manju - 13 Year Old Girl (Name Changed)

• Molested by a man on the road while walking home
  from school
• Went straight to police station to lodge
  complaint demanded a copy of FIR
• Told police inspector she learnt about this in
  the Life Skills course

20
Life Skills 20
Policy Implications
Policy Implications

• Life Skills course of longer duration needed for
  empowerment of adolescent girls
• Needs to go beyond reproductive / sexual health
• Needs to be community based to ensure social
  support / approval
• Programme should engage key decision makers
• Replication possible in India through ICDS