The Girl Child and the Family: an Action Research Study. INSTITUTION India Univ., New Delhi

DOCUMENT RESUME ED 379 062 PS 022 603 AUTHOR Anandalakshmy, S., Comp. TITLE The Girl Child and the Family: An Action Research Study. INSTITUTION India Univ., New Delhi. SPONS AGENCY Ministry of Human Resources Development, New Delhi (India) . PUB DATE 94 NOTE 312p.; Separately published 44-page "Summary Report" is appended. PUB TYPE Reports Research/Technical (143) EDRS PRICE MFO1 /PC13 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Child Health; Child Labor; *Children; Child Welfare; Elementary Secondary Education; Equal Education; Family Characteristics; *Females; Foreign Countries; Housing; Immunization Programs; Menstruation; *Parent Attitudes; Parent Child Relationship; *Sex Bias; *Sex Role; Socialization IDENTIFIERS *India ABSTRACT This report describes a nationwide study of female children and the family in rural India. The objectives of the study were to generate data on the situation of female children; to identify the major problems related to their status; to start a series of programs to help remedy those shortcomings; and to assist communities, and women in particular. Demographic data, including family migration, occupation, economic status, government programs received, housing, family structure, education, and occupation, were obtained. Chapter 1 describes the study's rationale, methodology, and conceptual framework. Chapter 2 provides a profile of households. Chapter 3 reports vast gender bias inherent in the socialization of children, including gender expectations, parent-daughter activities, and behavioral restrictions related to gender are reported. Chapter 4 presents data on school attendance, participation in extra-curricular activities, school facilities, dropouts, reasons for not attending school, parental levels of education, birth order and school attendance, and the view of female children's ideal level of education. Chapter 5 includes data on mother's health, immunization, nutrition, health treatment, appearance, and environmental factors. In chapter 6, survey results on menstruation knowledge, puberty rites, taboos, and restrictions are reported. Chapter 7 reports the percentage of female children performing economic activity. Chapter 8 includes six case studies and five brief case profiles. Chapter 9 presents the profiles of the geographical areas involved in this study. Chapter 10 summarizes findings, state policy and programs, and directions for action. (WP) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** THE GIRL CHILD. AND THEFAMILY U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office at Educational Research and Improvement An Action Research. Study EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) vi This document has beet eproduced as received from the person or organization originating it Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent official 0E111 position or policy ea; cip) a "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY c.401 A\ ckcs\nrm, Compiled and Edited by TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES S. ANANDALAKSHIVIY INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Sponsored by the Dept. of Women and Child Development, HRD Ministry, Govt. of India, New Delhi. 1994 2 I BEST COPY AVAILABLE THE GIRL CHILD ANDTHE FAMILY An ActionResearch Study Compiled and Edited by S. ANANDALAKSHMY Sponsored by The Department of Women & ChildDevelopment Ministry of Human Resources Development, Government of India. Executed by The UGC Centres for Women's DevelopmentStudies in the University System in India. 1994 3 Dept. of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Human Resources Development Secretary Meera Seth Upto 1993 Lata Singh 1993 onwards Joint Secretary Uma Pillai Upto 1992 S. K. Guha 1993 onwards Joint Director T, K. Sarojini Chief Advisor on Data Management N. K. Nijhawan, Executive Director, Indian Council of Social Science Research Research Methodology Advice and Assistance Shankar Bose, Indian Council of Social Science Research K. N. Jehangir, Indian Council of Social Science Research J. C. Sharma, Tata Institute of Social Sciences Co-ordination Committee S. Anandalakshmy (Convenor) Susheela Kaushik Maithreyi Krishnaraj Vina Mazumdar Vasantha Rarnkumar 4 PROJECT DIRECTORS COLLABORATING CENTRES Dr. S. A. T. Adilakshmi Centre for Women's Devt. Studies, S. P. Mahila Visvavidyalayam, Tirupati - A.P. Prof. Jasodhara Bagchi & School of Women's Studies, Prof. Jaba Guha Jadavpur University, Calcutta - West Bengal. Dr. V. Bhavani Women's Studies Centre, Nagarjuna University, Guntur A.P. Dr. Bibekanand Das Women's Studies Research Centre, Berhampore University. Berhampore Orissa Prof. Amita Verma & Women's Studies Centre, Dr. Parul Dave M. S. University, Baroda - Gujarat. Dr. Rekha Pandey & Centre for Women's Studies, Dr. Kameshwari Jandhyala University of Hyderabad Hyderabad - A.P. Dr. Surinder Jetley Centre for Women's Studies and Development, Faculty of Social Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi U.P. Dr. Usha Kanhere Women's Studies Cell, School of Social Science, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad - Gujarat Prof. Susheela Kaushik Women's Studies Centre, University of Delhi Delhi. Prof. Maithreyi Krishnaraj & Research Centre for Women's Studies, Dr. Divya Pande SNDT Women's University, Bombay. Dr. Lakshmi Lingam Women's Studies Unit, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Bombay. 5 PROJECT DIRECTORS COLLABORATING CENTRES Dr. Prabha Mahale Research Centre for Women's Studies, Karnatak University, Dharwad Dr. Umed Raj Nahar Women's Studies Cell, Jodhpur University, Jodhpur -Rajasthan Dr. Ujwala Patil (Hiremath) Centre for Women's Studies, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga - Karnataka. Dr. V. S. Pramila Centre for Women's Studies, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam A.P. Dr. Pam Rajput Centre for Women's Studies, Punjab University, Chandigarh. Prof. A. Ramanamma Centre for Women's Studies, University of Poona Pune - Maharashtra. Dr. Vasantha Ramkumar Centre for Women's Studies, University of Kerala, Tiruvananthapuram Kerala. Dr. B. Regina Papa Centre for Women's Studies, Alagappa University, Karaikudi - T.N. Dr. Niroj Sinha Centre for Women's Devt. Studies, Patna University, Patna - Bihar. Dr. Rameshwari Varma Centre for Women's Studies, Institute of Devt. Studies, University of Mysore, Mysore. Dr. H. P. Verma Women's Devt. Studies and Research Centres Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur - M.P. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The energy and strength of the collective activity of women engaged in Women's Studies has characterised this project from its inception to its conclusion. This acknowl- edgement is really an Editor's note to record, with humility and gratitude, the various contributions of the several women scholars, activists, teachers, administrators and research workers who have made this effort possible. The Indian Association for Women's Studies had at its Biennial Conference in Waltair passed a resolution to take up a country-wide collaborative study on identified relevant issues. Madhuri Shah,Chairperson, University Grants Commission who had the vision and the will to put Women's Studies on the academic map of India, sensed the importance of such a decision. The SNDT Women's University unit on Research in Women's Studies established by her was the premier institution of its type. It was ideally suited for the brainstorming session that was organised there as a sequel to the Biennial Conference of the Indian Association for Women's Studies. The decision to undertake research studies that would be jointly done by several individuals, backed by their academic institutions had been taken and this was now planned out as a project. The South Asian region, with the countries having cultural and historical commonalities recognised the need for a congenial environment for the growth and development of children. The second SAARC summit held at Bangalore in 1986 stressed the important of enhancing public consciousness on the rights of children and the need for member nations to adopt the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It was at the SAARC Summit of 1988 that the issue of children, particularly girl children, was highlighted. The girl child in South Asia was considered symbolic of the neglected aspects in our policies. With this as background, it was proposed that 1990 be declared as the year of the Girl Child in the SAARC region. The possibility of linking different regions of the country through using the network of the newly set up Women's Studies Units in the Universities, under the aegis of the University Grants Commission is an inspiration to be credited to Vina Mazumdar. Vina Mazumdar, the architect and the moving force behind "Towards Equality' the report on the Status of Women in India, in the mid-seventies, had the insight and imagination to arrange a meeting point between institutions committed to the same cause: Directors of Women's Studies Centres set up at different Universities and the Government of India's Dept. of Women and Child Development who had declared 1990 as the Year of the Girl Child. This linking up of different institutions across the wide span of the country enabled the study to be as representative as possible. 7 Maithreyi Krishnaraj, Director, Research Centre from Women's Studies (SNDT) conducted theinitialsessions. Two meetings were held, one in Sept. 1989 and the other in Dec. 1989, with some Directors of the Women's Studies Centres and invited experts.

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