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Focus 2002 April - June English |
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POPULATION ENVIRONMENT DEVELOPMENT
A BULLETIN
OF POPULATION
FOUNDATION
OF INDIA
Training Programmes on
Management cum Behavioral Change
Communication (BCC)
Volume XVI No.2
April-June 2002
Population Foundation of India
has sponsored
training
programmes on Management
Skills and on Behavioural Change
Communication for NGOs from the
National Capital Region (NCR) of Delhi.
These programmes are being organized
by the Centre for Media Studies (CMS), a
Delhi based Research Institution.
;;<;:';'A RNANDA
/1 f:~~r Secretary to \\\\
1/ Government of India,
f ·1 Ministry of Health and
i \\ \\ Family Welfare, is the new }
\\ \\ Executive Director of the !;
\\. Foundation with effect from / /
/I
>. 1st AU9US~
The training programmes
on
Behavioural Change Communication are
designed to train the NGO personnel in
techniques of effective communication in
implementation of Reproductive and
Child Health (RCH) programmes. This
should enable the NGOs to become
partners in Government's initiatives for
implementing RCH programmes and
improving the quality of life as a whole.
-~/
Before conducting the training
programmes,
CMS organized two
Orientation Workshops, one each in May
and June 2002, to finalize the course
content of the training programmes on
BCC and Management Skills and to
decide on the faculty.
The first four-day BCC training
programme was inaugurated by Mr A R
Nanda, former Secretary to Government
of India, Department of Family Welfare,
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
on June 19,2002, in which 26 personnel
from different NGOs participated.
Eminent speakers took the sessions on
trends and developments in various RCH
issues & relevance of BCC in RCH with
special focus to adolescent health. Due
emphasis was laid in different sessions
on various communication
skills;
coun:selling and negotiation :skill:s;print I
electronic media, concept of advocacy,
target specific BCC packages and their
(Continued on page 10)
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sets are certainly changing,
even though slowly"
Mr A R Nanda was at the helm of
India's family welfare programme
as the Secretary ofthe Department
of Family Welfare. It was during his
MR A R NANDA
tenure
that the National
Population Policy 2000 was issued.
Mr Nanda is known for his liberal views on
population and human development issues, and
has advocated for a development-centred approach
towards population in the country. A few days before
his retirement, Mr Nanda spoke to Pop Times about
his experiences.
Q. You were the Registrar General of India and
conducted the 1991 Census before taking over
as the Secretary
of the Family Welfare
Department. What other assignments related to
population and demography did you have during
the course of your career?
A. My first tryst with the Census and population-
related surveys was in 1968, when I was a Sub-
Divisional Officer in Orissa. Little did I know then
that I would go on to head the Census operations
one day. In 1970, I was a District Census Officer,
and in 1971, I was associated with the Agricultural
Census. Between 1979 and 1983, I served as the
• "Mindsets are certainly changing,
2
even though slowly"
• Empowerment of Panchayati Raj
3
Institutions in Karnataka through
Electronic Media
• Workshop on Roles and
4
Responsibilities of Panchayati Raj
Members At Nautanwa Block,
Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh
• Community Level Reproductive
5
Health Rights Programme
• Improvement of RCH Services
5
by Community Mobilization
• Female Foeticide
6-7
• Community Radio
8
Programme in Karnataka
• Community Radio
9
Programme in Uttar Pradesh
• "Pragati Ka Dwar : Panchayati Raj"
11
Director of Census Operations in Orissa. During
my tenure, the 1981 Census was conducted in the
State. I later went to Cardiff for population studies.
In 1989, I took over as the Registrar General and
Census Commissioner. I was a member of the
Indian delegation at the International Conference
on Population and Development, Cairo, in 1994.
When I was chosen as the Secretary of the Family
Welfare Department, I was elated as this was my
area of interest and commitment.
Q. Is India headed in the right direction
Cairo? Are mindsets changing?
after
A. Mindsets are certainly changing, even though
slowly. We have had several ways of looking at
population
in the past, beginning with the
Malthusian way, the neo-Malthusian way, the Club-
de-Rome way, and so on. We have had population
programmes since 1951, and by and large they have
always remained holistic in intent. However, earlier
there was a scare about numbers, as if people were
eating away resources. The terms used were
"explosion", which underlined
the need for.
"control." Pursuance of method-specific targets led
to coercion and the debacle in the 1970's. However,
what is worrying now is that while policy statements
are modern and liberal, the strategies and
mechanisms contradict the theory. There is nothing
wrong in setting fertility reduction targets, but if
these become the only objective, it will lead to short-
cuts, coercion, incentives and disincentives.
If at all there are targets worth pursuing, these
should be targets on women's health, reducing
infant mortality,
improving the quality of
reproductive health and other services. We should
have a system of audit in the health system.
Q. What are some of the priorities of the moment?
A. Improving the quality of services rather than
meeting targets. For example, if the target is do have
IUD insertions, sometimes service providers do not
see whether the woman is suffering from
reproductive tract infection or pelvic inflammation.
They do not look at her overall health. The result is
that if there is a failure, or morbidity, no acceptors
come up despite IEC programmes. Similarly, there
needs to be counselling along with provision of
condoms rather than just distribution.
(Continued on page 10)
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Empowerment of
Panchayati Raj Institutions
in Kamataka through Electronic Media
P
Population Foundation of
India, in collaboration with
Institute for Social &
Economic
Change
(ISEC),
Bangalore, launched a project on
Empowerment of Panchayati Raj
Institutions on issues of population,
health and social development
through electronic media in
Karnataka in May 2002, with the
following objectives:
• To educate and sensitize
Panchayati Raj Institutions on
the issues of population, health
and social development through
electronic media in Karnataka.
• To utilize the electronic media to
reach the larger audience of
decision-makers
of rural
communities such as Panchayati
Raj Members, Health Workers,
Anganwadi Workers, ANMs and
Non-Governmental Organiza-
tions in Karnataka.
Earlier, through satellite
communication,
direct and
simultaneous interaction with large
number of participants spread all
over the State was planned.
However, due to technical problems
with satellite telecasting at Mysore,
this methodology had to be replaced
by narrow-casting.
Government of Karnataka
under India Population Project-IX
prepared 16 episodes on health and
social development issues. The
Foundation selected 12 out of 16
episodes produced by IPP-IX for
telecast
from Doordarshan-
Bangalore, every Thursday, from
6.00 to 6.30p.m., with effect from
• Health problems of the
adolescent girls
• Menstruation and related
developments
• Health problems
of
married women
• Importance
feeding
of breast
• Immunization (BCG and
Polio)
• Immunization
others)
(DPT and
• Temporary and
Permanent FP methods
The project
has been
implemented in 6 districts of
Karnataka covering 115 gram
panchayats. The following six NGOs
have been selected for implementing
the project activities with experience
in providing health care services
and imparting health education:
• Family Planning Association of
India, Dharwad Branch
• Swamy Vivekananda Youth
Movement, H.D. Kote (Mysore'
District)
• Jayanthi Grama Women and
Children Welfare Association,
Bijapur District
• Grameena Abyudaya Seva
Samsthe,
Doddaballapur
(Bangalore Rural District)
• Family Planning Association of
India, Bidar Branch (Bidar
district)
• Action for Rural Reconstruction
Movement, Shorapur (Gulbarga
district)
One 2-day
orientation
programme for volunteers from the
selected NGOs was organized in
May 2002, by ISEC, Bangalore.
Apart from the NGO personnel and
Government officials, Dr Govind
Rao, Director, ISEC, and Dr K
Srinivasan, the then Executive
Director of the Foundation,
participated in the programme, to
discuss
the modalities
for
implementation of the project. One-
day orientation programme at the
headquarters of NGOs was also
organized to sensitize them on the
following issues:
• To discuss the modalities to
bring the panchayat members to
the TV sets in each village.
• To familiarize the volunteers
about the contents of each
episode.
• To organize a meeting of all gram
panchayat
Presidents
and
Secretaries to finalize the venue
for group viewing and making
necessary arrangements before
the telecast
of the first
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Workshop on Role and Responsibilities of
Members of Panchayati Raj Institutions
Population Foundation of India organized a two-
•
day workshop on role and responsibilities of
members of Panchayati Raj Institutions on 14-
15 June 2002, at Nautanwa block of Maharajganj
district of Uttar Pradesh, jointly with GNK-Plan,a NGO
working in that area. Out of 46 participants, 35 were
from panchayats of Jara, Mahua, Khairati and
Baikunthpur Naya Panchayat. The rest were the
community leaders and local Government officials.
Panchayat members were made conscious of their
role and responsibilities by organizing role-plays and
direct discussions on specific issues raised by them.
Most of the subjects included in the 73rd Constitutional
Amendment were dealt with.
Mr Vincent Victor, Joint Director (IEC) enabling the members to
participate in the training programme
ANMs.Organization of awareness camps on nutrition,
water and sanitation was also emphasized. Panchayat
members were made aware of their responsibilities for
registration of all children in the school; proper
functioning of the schools and liaison with the school
teachers, who can play an important role in reduction
of drop outs from the school.
Panchayat Pradhan and Panchayat members in participation in the
training programme at Maharajganj.
Some of the handicaps that the panchayat
members felt were lack of clarity, courage and
confidence in their dealing with higher authorities,
inadequate communication skills and want of
understanding of the processes and procedures to
make their contributions in developmental activities.
Apart from reflecting on their responsibilities,
stress was also laid on the need for a healthy
environment in villages with specific focus on health
issues, such as immunization, networking with PHCs
for availing of health facilities, liaison with doctors and
This Workshop was an extension of the earlier
training programmes organized by the Foundation
for Panchayati Raj Institutions with GNK-Plan,
Maharajganj.
Young Girls Kidnapped
Teenage girls in China are left vulnerable to
kidnapping due to the shortage of marriageable women
in China, where 116 boys are born for every 100 girls,
according to the United Nations Population Fund. In one
region, 135 boys are born for every 100 girls.
In an interview with SSC World, UNFPA spokesman
Stirling Scruggs said "male preference is centuries-old in
China and other parts of Asia," but the trend towards the
use of sex-selective abortion and infanticide to ensure
the birth of a son became more prevalent in China in the
1980s, leading to a shortage of girls who are now eligible
for marriage.
(Courtesy to POPLINE Vol.24-May-June 2002)
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Community Level Reproductive
Health Rights Programme
T The Foundation has started in
February 2002 a project for
strengthening community level
Reproductive Health rights in 21 remote
Dalit villages of Darsi Mandai Prakasam
district of Andhra Pradesh with the
assistance
of Training for Rural
Economic and Education (TREE), a Non-
Governmen tal Organization.
As per the background information
provided by TREE, Dalit villages of this
district are among the most backward
villages, where a large segment of
scheduled caste and scheduled tribe
population is being stricken by poverty,
squalid living conditions, disease and
hunger. Besides underdevelopment and
illiteracy, agriculture is the main source
of their livelihood. Physical isolation and
offensive caste system, which playa
dominant role in the rural social
structure, have made them static and
powerless. Their social life is very
restrained, and poverty coupled with
social disability has made them the
prisoners of malnutrition, ill health and
injustice.
in the absence of access to emergency
care; absence of pre and post natal care;
unsafe abortions are very common
leading to maternal morbidity and
mortality.
• To create awareness in men and
women to achieve optimal sexual
health
and exercise
their
reproductive
health rights and
responsibilities
through gender
sensitivity,
responsible
sexual
behaviour and equitable gender
relations.
• To ensure that the target groups have
access to safe, effective, affordable
and acceptable methods of their
choice for regulation offertility as well
as access to health care for safe
pregnancy and child birth.
• To reduce maternal mortality and
morbidity through minimizing unsafe
abortions and enhancing sustainable
access to effective reproductive health
services.
A high proportion of women and
The project envisages formation of
children is still unprotected from easily registered women development societies
preventable diseases and infections. and Self-Help Groups in all target
Poor immunization
villages. Reproductive
coverage for various
reasons is making a
number of children
disabled and some
times resulting in
brain
damage,
stunted
growth,
chronic lung diseases
THEIR SOCIAL LIFE IS VERY
RESTRAINED AND POVERTY
COUPLED WITH SOCIAL
DISABILITY MADE THEM THE
PRISONERS OF
MALNUTRITION, ILL HEALTH
AND INJUSTICE.
Health Committees
will also be set up at
village level. Apart
from giving health
education
and
knowledge on RCH,
training will be given
to the trainers,
etc. Malnutrition is
selected from these
one of the major problems. Early committees, on skill development. Local
marriages even at the age of 13 for a dais and Trained Birth Attendents(TBAs)
girl are common among them. There is will be responsible for total programme
no awareness about family planning implementation at community level.
services. Unhygienic deliveries by dais
Improvement of RCH
Services by Community
Mobilization
Population Foundation of India, in
association with Pariwar Mangal Trust,
Pune, has undertook a project on
improvement of Reproductive and Child
Health Services by Community Mobilization
in 25 remote villages of Nasarpur Primary
Health Centre of Bhor Taluka of Pune
district, covering a population of 27,000.
The objective is to control the transmission
of RTls/STDs, as it is a major cause of
reproductive morbidity.
Strategies for the control include
health education, counseling, disease
detection through screening and diagnosis
by clinical and laboratory procedures,
treatment of cases and management of
sexual contacts, wherever required.
Keeping in view the life cycle
approach, the project aims at providing
integrated Reproductive and Child Health
Services to mothers, children, eligible
couples and adolescents.
In the first phase, the project plans to
form and involve village action groups
during the baseline survey itself and
sensitize them for their health needs by
forming two mahila mandai groups in each
village. Self-Help Groups will also be setup
from the beginning.
During the second phase, IEC
activities will be carried out through village
action groups. Focus group discussions
(FGDs) and training of members of these
groups will be organized on issues related
to anatomy and physiology of reproduction,
maternal and child health care, prevention
of unwanted pregnancy, management of
RTls/STDs, HIV/AIDS etc.
A mobile van with a lady medical
officer and nurse will visit each village,
examine and treat cases of RTls/STDs in
the presence of Community Health
Workers/ANMs.
Expected outcome of the project
activities is improved health status of
women of child bearing age; improved
status of infants and children, management
of pregnancy and child birth; simple
diagnostic criteria for treatment of RTlsl
STDs to decrease their incidence.
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•
Dharmapuri, a District in Tamil Nadu is considered
the most backward District in the State. Despite
concerted efforts to educate villagers in Dharmapuri
and neighbouring areas on the issue, female infanticide
is common occurrence.
Voluntary agencies working in the region claim
that the number of cases of female infanticide is on the
rise. In Dharmapuri alone, 60 cases of infanticide have
been registered in the past one-year. Awareness
programmes launched by the State Government and
the NGOs have failed in their mission.
In remote areas, cruel methods are
adopted to kill the newborn babies. A baby is
overfed and made to lie on its stomach.
The end comes within minutes.
Asphyxiation
is a common
method. Some parents, reports
say, cut the umbilical chord
and let the babies bleed to
death. Babies are fed milk
containing husk. They
choke on the husk and
die.
Parents
have
become very adept at
killing their new-born
babies. In most cases,
poverty is the reason.
Villagers in Dharmapuri
do not have access to
primary health services and
in most of the cases people
are totally ignorant of the
benefits of family planning
programmes.
The Tamil Nadu Government
introduced cradle-baby scheme in 1992.
Under this scheme, cradles were placed at primary
health centres, hospitals, orphanages and children's
homes. Mothers who did not want baby girls were asked
to drop their babies in the cradles. This scheme instead
of solving the issue of gender discrimination,
is
permitting parents to abandon their baby girls.
(Courtesy to Statesman dated 11th July, 2002)
FEMALE FOETICIDE
Thursday July 11 was World Population day and
the Indian Government along with WHO decided to
observe it with special emphasis on empowerment of
women. While many would look at the independent,
single, working women who have managed with their
grit to conquer all obstacles and stand next to men as
equals, these are just a miniscule number in our
burgeoning population of over a billion. The truth is
that even today women are discriminated against from
Female
birth. Female infanticide continues to rise in most
India's 'backward' Districts, where a girl child is still
seen as a burden. For those who consider themselves
too educated to actually kill a baby once it is born, they
have more sophisticated methods of sex determination
tests to help them to decide whether to terminate the
pregnancy. Sex test clinics, while illegal have
mushroomed in urban areas, obviously because of the
demand - and it is to ensure that girls are not born.
The crime is prevalent across the country, only
varying in frequency depending on
literacy levels of the State. The more
literate the State, ego Kerala, the
~
....•••••••.
lower the population rate as well as
gender discrimination. In the rural
areas of the north where life is still very
...••••••••••.
feudal, women are seen as a burden
..••• because of the huge dowries
, .£
demanded at the time of marriage.
The menace of dowry cuts across
-4 ":
divides of class and caste, and
continues to keep women in the
position of little more than a
possession of the man, be it
father, husband or son. A male
child is also still seen as the
insurance policy for old age, and
who will inherit and carry on the
family name. These social mores
have to be broken down first
before
real
gender
discrimination has even a chance
of being eliminated. The only
answer is literacy, education and
raising awareness, and on a war
footing ifIndia is to really enter the
21St Century.
(Courtesy to
Statesman dated 15.7.02)
GOVERNMENT TO
EXPAND
SEX TESTS BAN TO IVF
The scope of the law for
checking tests which determine
the
sex of a foetus is being expanded
to cover pre-conception sex selection techniques, being
practised under the cover of invirto fertilisation (IVF)
techniques at centres almost all over the country.
Union family welfare secretary Mr. A R Nanda said:
"IVF clinics have mushroomed all over. In the name of
infertility techniques, all such practices are being carried
out." These centres encourage couples seeking a male
child to go in for procedures such as separation of X-V
chromosomes of the sperm or embryo selection,
following IVF. The proposed amendments, to be in the
existing Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, which
covers post-conception
techniques such as sex
determination through ultrasound and amniocentesis,
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Foeticide
are to be cleared by the cabinet.
Increasing distortions in the sex ratio is the reason
for the urgency being shown by the government on the
issue. As a result of sex determination practices, the
male-female sex ratio is changing rapidly. Ten Districts
in Punjab and Haryana alone have sex ratios below 800.
Activists, through the intervention of the Supreme
Court, are compelling State Governments to initiate
action against ultrasound centres encouraging female
foeticide, under the present PNDT Act. So, it is for the
first time since the enactment of this law about eight
years ago that States have started registering
ultrasound machines for a better supervision
of their use.
The
Indian
Medical Association,
too, has called for
action against doctors
helping in such sex
selection procedures.
Activist Sabu George
says, "The problem
with foeticide is that
doctors are promoting
and encouraging it. It is one
organised
crime agains t
women
encouraged
by
professionals. "
The law states that pre-natal
diagnostic techniques should not be used
on a woman unless she is above 35 years
or has undergone two or more spontaneous
abortions, exposed to potentially teratogenic
agents such as drugs, radiation, infection,
chemicals, or she or her spouse has a family
history of mental retardation
or physical
deformities. Pre-natal diagnostic techniques are
useful for the detection of genetic or chromosomal
disorders, congenital malformations or sex-linked
disorders.
Not only is sex determination a crime against
women, but achieving a balance in sex ratios is also a
crucial part of population stabilisation. "Balancing the
sex ratio is more important than just containing
numbers. Ifwe go for a strict view of numbers, we would
have imbalances in society," adds Mr. Nanda. (Courtesy
to Times of India dated 6.5.02)
WHERE HAVE ALL THE GIRLS GONE? - HARYANA
BOYS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO GET MARRIED
Haryanvi youth are used to getting married in their
early 20s but these days they are finding it increasingly
difficult to get brides. The 26 year-old Jagbir Singh is
desparate because of his bachelor status. His elder
brother Ajmer, who earns around Rs.8000 a month is
also unmarried. The family almost found a bride for
Ajmer, but when her father learnt that the family had
only two acres to be shared among three brothers, he
backed out. The story of Jagbir's family is common
enough in Haryana.
Young girls in their colourful dresses are a rare
sight on the roads and in the buses. The only visible
women are the greying mothers who have perpetual
frowns on their brows. They keep dreaming about
daughters-in-law relieving them of their household
chores.
"There are fewer girls now and they are in a
position to pick and choose", says a mother. The feeling
of village kinship, caste, sub-
caste
and
gotra
continues to be strong
in Haryana. Age-old-
customs are held
sacrosanct
and
elders seldom allow
marriages
outside
village and caste.
However, faced with the
prospect of living the
cursed life of a bachelor in
a society which holds
marriage in such high esteem,
many men have started looking
for brides in faraway places
The fact that women have
become scarce does not mean
that they are valued. They become
scarce because they are being
seen as a liability. Until they are
considered as an asset, and their
relative worth vis-a.-vis men is well
established,
they will be
marginalized
and deprived.
Sociologists consider that in the long
run the scarcity of girls could result
in a rise in crime against women.
Morever, old bachelors will be forced
into a marginalised life without any self-esteem in the
houses of distant relatives. This could add to the
problems affecting their physical and mental health.
Humbled by the ruin they have brought upon
themselves by indulging in female infanticide and
foeticide, the people of Haryana are hanging their head
in shame.
"Falling sex ratio is definitely a matter of concern"
says Swaranjit Mehta, Professor of population geography
in Punjab University, Chandigarh. The situation is going
to be worse 20 years from now because the sex ratio in
the 0-6 age group is not only low, but also declining
with rising incidence of female foeticide. The situation
is alarming and at this rate the number of girls per
1000 boys in Haryana in 2021 would be well below 820.
(Courtesy to The Week dated July 7, 2002)
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Community Radio
Programme in Kamataka
K usumale, a Community Radio Programme on
Empowerment of Community on Issues of
Population, Health and Social Development,
implemented by the Foundation, in collaboration with
Vivekananda Kalyan Kendra, a local NGO at Mysore
and AIR- Bangalore, for Mysore district of Karnataka,
was specially focussed to the Soliga tribes of Banjara
Hills. A drama series of 52 half-an-hour episodes in
Mysore, has done the final evaluation of Kusumale
programme. The purpose was to evaluate the
effectiveness and reach of Kusumale programme among
the target area. In the evaluation process, 40 villages
in Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts were selected.
Five programme listeners in each of 40 villages were
searched to obtain a sample of200 prognunme listeners.
• Out of 40 villages, 23 villages provided the required
five household clusters. On an average 13.88 per
cent was the media reach in these 23 villages.
• Among the listeners, 50 per cent of them belonged
to schedule caste, schedule tribes and backward
caste. The sample consisted of agricultural
labourers, housewives and unmarried girls.
• A moderate number of listeners had listened all the
52 episodes. Kusumale had established an identity
of its own as great majorityof listeners recalled the
correct timingsof the programme broadcast. Among
the listeners, 93 per cent of household listeners
have found the programme informativewhereas 86
per cent found it interesting.
• The programme had desired impact on the listeners
denoting high degree of recall of specific issues like
age at marriage and small family. It was revealed
that listeners had not only liked the programme but
also found it very useful and informative.
• The target listeners had not only received the
information but also learnt some lessons out of it.
Some of the girls during the survey said they would
not marry before 18 years even iftheir parents force
them to do so.
programme. The idea was to seek their cooperation
and active involvement as well as sufficient publicity
for the programme.
• To brief volunteers to make necessary arrangements
for group viewing, arranging discussions and
clarifying the doubts raised by panchayat members
after watching the TV programmes.
• To enable them to organize pre and post evaluation
by administering a well-designed questionnaire for
further analysis by ISEC.
• To supervise implementation of all aspects of the
programme in the project areas.
• To handover video tapes of the 12 episodes to the
volunteers.
In order to increase the viewership, ISEC has
introduced a cash award of Rs 500/- each to five
respondents, to be picked up out of those who give
correct answer to the question, which is announced
after the telecast of each programme. This has been
introduced with the telecast of the 3'-d programme and
will continue till the telecast of the 12th programme.
Viewers from allover Karnataka can send their replies
to ISEC within 5 days of the telecast.
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Community Radio Programme
in Uttar Pradesh
Ujala, a Community Radio
Programme on Empowerment
of Community on Issues of
Population, Health and Social
November 2001 to June 2002.
AIR-Obra received a number of
letters from listeners of Sonbhadra
district as well as other surrounding
Development, implemented by the
Foundation in collaboration with
Banwasi Sewa Ashram, a local NGOat
Sonbhadra and AIR- Obra. A Hindi
drama series of 52 half-an-hour
episodes, was aired from March 2001
to March 2002 from AIR-Obra. It was
re-broadcast in part through Rampur
station of All India Radio from
districts of Uttar Pradesh. These
letters gave in detail as to how popular
was the UJALAprogramme among the
people of Sonbhadra and surrounding
areas. A number of listeners have
appreciated this programme and
suggested new topics/ways of
presentation of this programme.
The Foundation did evaluation of the UJALA programme with the
following objectives:
• To analyze the ability of media messages to create knowledge and
persuade the target audience to adopt/accept them in their lives;
Findings of this evaluation are:
• The targeted sample size was 100
listeners of UJALA programme but
evaluation team could interview only
53 listeners after listing the 1707
households.
• It was found that in Sonbhadra district,
the media reach of UJALA community
radio programme was slightly less
than 3 per cent (2.87%) which may
be considered as very low. Probably,
the main reason for such a low media
reach was broadcasting
this
programme
from Frequency
Modulation (FM) Band Radio. On an
average, there were only 10 radio sets
in a village and out of them only 3-4
had FM Band radio. Most of the radio
sets were very old and due to poverty,
people in this area were not in a
position to purchase FM Band radio
sets.
• Out of 49 respondents, 39 were males
and 10 were females. The highest
number of respondents were young
in the age group of below 25 years.
• All the listeners of this programme
identified radio in general and AIR
Obra in particular, as the major source
of information about UJALA.
• Only 11 listeners were able to listen
more than 20 episodes of UJALA and
only 3 listeners were able to listen all
the 30 episodes. The reason cited by
the listeners for not listening to all the
episodes was, apart from their busy
routine, they did not have FM band
radio at that time.
• The findings substantiate the
immense interest the programme
generated among the listeners. A very
high proportion of listeners i.e. 45 has
rated the programme as very
interesting. Out of these 45 listeners,
36 were male and 9 females. Another
3 listeners have rated the programme
as somewhat interesting and only one
listener has found the programme as
neither interesting nor boring.
• All the listeners have found the UJALA
programme as very informative; its
lansuase
is understandable.
Performance of artists in various
episodes was very good as well as
the story line was also quite
interesting for all the 49 listeners.
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1.10 Page 10 |
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Q. Many influential policy makers feel a "strong"
approach is needed, which means introducing
incentives and disincentives. What is being done
to advocate with them?
A. A sustained advocacy campaign with activist
approach is needed. Success can be achieved with
combined action. This has to be done by the National
Government, the Population Commission, with
international
agencies who believe in the
Programme of Action, the Beijing Conference, and
so on. However, ad hoc advocacy projects are not
the answer. Only a sustained advocacy campaign
will help. And it has to begin at home, because if
those who are engaging ir. this campaign are still
steeped in the old approach, they will not be the
best advocates. For example, many of our
demographers who are part of advocacy efforts are
still steeped in the old approach. One has to choose
the advocates carefully, both individuals and
institutions.
Q. Did you visualise that States would draft their
own population policies after the formulation
of the National Population Policy? What is being
done to ensure uniformity between the policies?
A. We visualised that states would draft their own
policies based on the philosophy of the National
Population Policy. But a priority to numbers,
wherever it has been shown, will be
counterproductive. With UNFPA and like-minded
organisations,
we are trying to assist State
Governments in preparing appropriate population
policies. The recent release of a human
(Continued from page 2)
development-centred Gujarat population policy is
an example of success. Similarly, there was initially
an element of coercion in the Maharashtra policy,
which has not been pursued.
Q. What are the main challenges
country's family welfare programme
five years?
before the
in the next
A. Firstly, there has to be a sustained advocacy
campaign. This campaign has to be directed at
service providers, policy makers and the general
public. We have to promote the right to information
and a small family, which is by choice. The end
product will be a more stable population anyway. It
is better than imposing one or two-child norm.
Secondly, the operationalisation of the life cycle
approach has to be ensured. This is the unfinished
agenda before the family welfare programme. An
important focus area for the near future is
adolescent health. We also have to widen the basket
of choices for people, especially in the reproductive
phase. In addition, post-reproductive issues have
to be tackled, including infant and child survival.
Balancing the sex ratio is an urgent need.
Moreover, the understanding of issues affecting
population has to be communicated to people and
policy makers. Some other issues are the role of
involving
NGOs and community-based
organisations, corporate partnership and social
marketing, planning from below in order to assess
the needs of the community. Accountability needs
to be built into the system.
(Courtesy - Pop Times, Newsletter of UNFPA India, May 2002)
(Continued from page 1)
monitoring and evaluation. The training
programme
was interactive and
participatory. Interactive tools, such as
group discussions and exercises, role-
plays and audio-visual programmes
were used during the training
programme.
It is proposed to conduct six
training programmes on Management
Skills and six on Behavioural Change
Communication in each year under this
three-year project.
_
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2 Pages 11-20 |
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2.1 Page 11 |
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~
"Pragati Ka Dwar : Panchayati Raj"
telecast through Gyan Darshan
A CHANNEL OF INDIRA GANDlll NATIONAL OPEN UNIVERSITY
Population Foundation of India has produced 14
episodes of video film under the title Pragati Ka
Dwar - Panchayati Raj with 25 minutes duration
each - nine for Panchayati Raj Institutions and five for
health service providers, which are based on population,
health and social development issues. The purpose of
this production was to reach a larger audience of
decision-makers of the rural communities like
Panchayati Raj members, community leaders,
spokespersons, family elders, various groups ofmahilaj
purush mandals and general public, through electronic
media.
The nine episodes for Panchayati Raj members on
Roleand Responsibilities of Panchayati Raj Institutions;
Reproductive and Child Health; Family Planning
Methods; Population and Development Issues; Gender
Inequality; Literacy and Education; Communicable
Diseases and their Prevention; Water and Sanitation
and Food and Nutrition were telecast through Gyan
Darshan from 6.1.2002 to 3.3.2002 during 7.00 - 7.30
a.m. and repeat telecast in the evening from 7.00 - 7.30
p.m. Five episodes for Service Providers on Reproductive
and Child Health; Family Planning Methods;
Communicable Diseases and their Prevention;
Counseling and Unmet Needs in relation to Health
Services were telecast from 27th June to 15t July 2002
during 7.00-7.30 p.m.
Departure from the Foundation
.
Dr K Srinivasan, Executive Director, PFI, (right) presenting
bouquets to Dr S Dutta, Joint Director (Programs) (left) at a
farewell to him
DR SHANTANU DUTTA, Joint Director (Programmes)
resigned from the service of the Foundation. He was with
us from September 2000 to May 2002. His dedicated
contributions in management and implementation of the
projects all over the country are praiseworthy. Not only
his endeavour in this regard but also his unassuming
personality and humane approach with the partner
agencies and the staff have endeared him to one and all.
He has joined as Programme Manager in Family Health
International.
A farewell was given to him on 29th May 2002 and
the Foundation wishes him all the best for his future
endeavours.
Boy or Girl - Two sides of the same coin.
Your girl can be your pearl - plan your family .
•:. Empower each to empower all.
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2.2 Page 12 |
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Departure of
Dr. K Srinivasan
DR K SRINIVASAN, Executive
Director,
Population
Foundation of India,
completed his term on 31sl
May 2002. He held this
positionfrom July 1995to May
2002. After joining the
Foundationin this capacity,Dr
Srinivasan focused the
Foundation's activities on
specific areas like
empowerment of panchayati
raj institutions; advocacy role
of population on sustainable
development and environment; networking with government/non-
governmentorganisations;capacitybuildingof NGOs;management
aspects of the programmesand deveopmentof a data base at the
Foundation. He set in motion all the programmes with a holistic
approach·towards Reproductive and Child Health, based on the
Agenda of Action after the ICPD Conferenceheld in 1994.
Dr Srinivasan'scontributionstowardsthe Foundationhas put
it onthe movingpedestalin a rightdirectionto reachat great heights.
Dr Srinivasan is a renowned Demographer and his
contributions in the population and development field are well
acknowledged in India as well as abroad. After leaving the
Foundation, he has joined as Professor Emeritus in International
Institute for Population Sciences (liPS), Mumbai.
The Foundationis indebtedto his valuablecontributionsand
human touch to the welfare of the staff members.The staff of the
Foundationwishes him happy, long and prosperous life.
New Executive Director
of the Foundation
MRA R NANDA,
former Secretary to
Government of India,
Department of Family
Welfare, Ministry of
Health and Family
Welfare, is the new
Executive Director of
the F~undation from
1s1 August 2002.
Mr Nanda was at
the helm of India's family welfare programme as
the Secretary of the Department of Family Welfare
from 1999 to 2002. It was during his tenure that the
National Population Policy 2000 was formulated.
Mr Nanda is known for his liberal views on
population and human development issues, and
has advocated for a development-centered and
rights based approach towards population in the
country.
He was the Registrar General and Census
Commissioner of India during 1989-1994.
Published by POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA
B-28, Qutab Institutional Area, Tara Crescent,
New Delhi-110016.
Tel.: 6867080, 6867081
e-mail: popfound@sify.com
website: www.popfound.org
Editor: Geeta Malhotra
Printed in: August 2002
Typesetted & Printed by : Reproductions India
POPULATION FOUNDATION OF INDIA
B-28, Qutab Institutional Area, Tara Crescent,
New Delhi - 110016