Protecting School-Going Girls From the Impact of Shadow Pandemic

CONTEXT

• The COVID-19 induced lockdown in India which began in March 2020 had deeply affected the lives of marginalised school students, particularly adolescent girls across India, threatening their rights and safety in particular. It resulted in a loss of work for the parents of these children, child abuse and domestic violence increased significantly and digital divide played a major role in their lives especially in rural areas.

• In the southern parts of West Bengal, the cyclone Amphan in May 2020 added to the aforementioned hardships brought on by the lockdown. Piyali, an area in the Canning Block of South 24 Parganas in West Bengal, was one such place. Since the lockdown and in the aftermath of Cyclone Amphan, Ebong Alap had organised several small-scale relief initiatives for the residents of Piyali in terms of dry ration and medicine, and also supplied solar lamps and educational materials for adolescent students. 

OUR PROGRAMME

• Since December 2020 we took up long term work in Piyali primarily to protect girls from the impact of shadow pandemic. Our programme responds to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Goal 4: Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, and Goal 5: Achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
• Through individual donations and this crowdfunding campaign since May 2021, we pooled in a small fund that has been aiming to provide financial support for education to specific students in the form of monthly stipend for two years. Besides their eagerness to continue education, the beneficiaries of this stipend have been chosen on the basis of their family income, the nature of threats they are facing at home and other vulnerabilities as reported by our field workers. This fund is committed to helping adolescents exercise their right to education in every way possible. We envision a future where the girls complete their school education, pursue higher studies and walk the path of economic independence fighting against discrimination and social injustices.
• Besides the intensive support for select students, this fund has been aiming to facilitate access to knowledge resources for school students in Piyali through a library cum knowledge resource centre – now called Piyalir Boighar. [https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/news/library-in-sunderbans-big-help-for-kids-from-families-with-shrunk-income/cid/1835828] [https://www.telegraphindia.com/my-kolkata/news/library-turns-one-gifts-books-to-two-kids-who-read-the-most/cid/1894055]
• The concept of this resource hub is focused on developing and nurturing the curious young minds that inspire them to acquire knowledge and exchange ideas in a shared space. The Boighar has been active since October 2021 and students are able to access books here on a range of subjects, see films and avail of other learning material. The Boighar also helps create a space for dialogue and exchange through workshops, training sessions and various other activities. This resource centre also helps develop a support network where students from different age, gender, family backgrounds regularly engage with each other and with the mentors, field volunteers and visiting facilitators. It tries to ensure inclusivity, accessibility and the safety of adolescent students in Piyali through a process of strengthening their capacities.

Immediate impact

1. Girls are able to complete school education with the support of monthly stipend
2. Early marriages are not forced on them due to economic constraints in the family [https://www.anandabazar.com/west-bengal/a-girl-from-south-24-parganas-overcame-marriage-pressure-and-passed-madhyamik/cid/1350176]
3. Resource hub provides digital resources and books for wider exposure to knowledge in general. The centre hosts regular cultural activities, science workshops, reading groups, film screenings, discussions, and exposure trips. The centre also has laptops and a WiFi connection that the students can access when required. This has helped bridge the digital divide to some extent. The library has helped them inculcate a reading-habit. Discussions in the reading-group have helped them develop analytical skills and the confidence to express their opinions
4. Regular engagements with peers, trainers and field workers provide a support system while coping with physical and psychological challenges girls are facing as a result of the shadow pandemic
5. The Independence Day rallies in 2021 and 2022, with girls and women present in great numbers, have had a rippling effect across the community. In this rally, the students carried posters about the everyday discriminations and harassment that they seek independence from. Being a part of Piyalir Boighar has also provided the girls with confidence to stand up for themselves in public spaces and protest against harassment. Cases of eve-teasing have decreased in the area [https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/calcutta/teens-hold-independence-day-rally-seeking-freedom-from-abuse/cid/1826837]
6. The women – the mothers of the students who are members of Piyalir Boighar – have also found a safe space which provides them with solidarity and support. Mothers who visit Piyalir Boighar did not have access to education when they were children. Being a part of the reading group has helped rekindle their wish to learn. They have expressed their wish to participate in a literacy programme. Ebong Alap is now planning to start an Adult Literacy Programme at the knowledge centre for the mothers/grandmothers.

Long-term impact

1. Empowering young girls to challenge discriminations and social injustices within the family and exercise their educational, economic and health rights
2. Building awareness and capacity to challenge and prevent crimes like domestic violence, sexual abuse, child trafficking, early marriage, etc. that are prevalent in the area
3. Creating a platform for community engagement that provides mental support and fosters sisterhood and solidarity for both the girls and the women in the community
4. Narrowing down the gap of the digital divide through access to the internet and digital resources in rural interiors
5. Facilitating a positive approach towards life, mental strength and self-confidence for the adolescent girls not only to fight the profound impact of shadow pandemic but also to build their future on their own