Search

To achieve gender equality and women empowerment it is essential to have complete data on the multiple and intersecting ways in which women and girls experience poverty, discrimination and violence. Gender data is crucial: without it, it is extremely difficult to design policies and programs which respond to the differential needs and experiences of all categories of men and women. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) has pledged to tackle the gender gap by 2030. The transformative agenda of sustainable development is underpinned by a strong statement of inclusion - 'leave no one behind'. Despite increased attention towards improving gender statistics, in the last two decades, there exists a glaring data gap. This state of affairs presents a real test towards achieving the ambitious scope of Agenda 2030. This paper discusses the significance, achievements and gaps on the gender data front. Further the paper establishes the necessity to develop and budget for newer approaches to bridge the gender data gap by 2030. The paper enumerates an innovative method of data collection from Surguja, Chhattisgarh and highlights ways in which it helped the government to expand its services and effectively respond to the needs of all categories of single women in the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child marriage is an age old practice which has both social and religious sanctions and is widely prevalent across various parts of India. Child marriage is a gross violation of a child's (boy's and girl's) right and adversely affects the performance of human development indicators such as infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate, nutrition and education of children and young mothers. Although there has been a sharp decline in child marriage across the country in recent years, especially of girls under 15 years, the practice continues unabated. This paper narrates a successful government campaign from Madhya Pradesh - "Lado Abhiyan" which questioned entrenched patriarchal norms and aimed at attitudinal and behavioural change in communities through sensitisation, dialogue and active citizen participation. The campaign, which has already achieved several milestones, is lauded for its commendable effort. The campaign won the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2014 and the prestigious CAPAM International Innovations Award in 2016. The success of the campaign has inspired a few States to replicate the initiative by adapting it to its context. This paper describes one such process of replication currently in progress in the state of Assam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Global Hunger Index Report published in 2015 brings back the problem of malnutrition in India into sharp focus. Malnutrition continues to be a national problem but there have been positive developments in tackling it too. As per the India Health Report on Nutrition published in 2015, the rate of child undernutrition is declining in the country; initially it was at a slower pace between 1992 and 2005 but since 2006 at an accelerated pace which continues even today. Between 2006 and 2014, the rate of stunting among under five-yearold children declined from 48 percent to 39 percent. However, the Report states that the development in India is still below the rate needed to achieve World Health Assembly's global nutrition targets that our country is committed to. This paper enumerates two innovative initiatives "Surguja Fulwari" in Chhattisgarh and "Aman Persera" of Meghalaya which aim at reducing child undernutrition both as a maker and marker of development. The "Surguja Fulwari" initiative won the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration in 2013. Currently, the model of "Surguja Fulwari" is being replicated by the State of Meghalaya as "Aman Persera." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]