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The unfinished skill training of India’s women: Bridging gender-based skill gaps to enhance women’s employment

by Guest Author 08/12/2024

written by Guest Author

Authors: Mitali Nikore, Khyati Bhatnagar, Priyal Mundhra

Research assistance: Ishita Upadhyay, Girish Sharma, Shruti Jha

India’s growing economy needs 103 million skilled workers between 2017-2022. Yet, over 100 million Indian youth (15-29 years) are not in education, employment or training (NEET), of which around 88.5 million are young women. The proportion of working-age women receiving any form of vocational training over the past decade has been increasing from 6.8% in 2011-12 to 6.9% in 2018-19, vs. an increase from 14.6% to 15.7% for men.

Furthermore, there is a concentration of women trainees in non-engineering, labour-intensive sectors and job roles. Under the flagship Prime Minister Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) for short-term skilling, although women comprised 49.9% of enrolled candidates over 2016-2020, they remained concentrated in traditional, “feminised” sectors such as beauty, apparel and healthcare, and almost entirely excluded from high technology or more mechanised sectors. Between 2014-19, women comprised 17% of enrolment at Industrial Training Institutes (ITI). Women formed only 4.3% of enrollments in engineering trades vs 54.7% in non- engineering trades.

Source: NSDC Analysis, June 2020

In this context, prolonged closures of education and skilling facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic are creating new barriers, especially for young women trying to enter the labour force. Between September 2020 to May 2021, Nikore Associates undertook consultations with over 60 stakeholders belonging to community-based organisations (CBOs), academic institutions, government agencies, women-led self-help groups (SHGs), and corporates to understand these barriers.

1. Gender-based digital divide: During COVID-19, several CBOs switched to online and Whatsapp-based skill training modules. However, in 2020, 25% of India’s adult female population owned a smartphone vs. 41% of men. Consultations showed that owing to lower ownership of smartphones, unfamiliarity with phone features, high data costs, and lower priority being accorded to women’s skill training, several women and adolescent girls dropped out of training. In one example of this, a Mumbai based NGO shared that large family sizes necessitated phone-sharing. Coupled with financial constraints which limited the purchase of internet packages, women’s enrolment in their online skill training courses had fallen.

2. Unpaid work: Indian women were already spending an average of 5 hours per day on unpaid care work, vs. 30 minutes spent by men pre-COVID-19. Nearly 45% of women’s unpaid work is centered around childcare, and the unavailability of creche facilities at skill centers deters women with caregiving responsibilities from joining. Consultations across social groups revealed that the presence of male relatives and children at home due to closure of workplaces and schools led to an increase in care work. For instance, an SHG mobiliser in Telangana shared that the women in her community were unable to attend trainings and SHG meetings owing to domestic work.

3. Commuting options and mobility restrictions: Even before COVID-19, 28.3% of women enrolled in ITIs cited difficulty in commuting as their reason for withdrawing from skill training. Lockdown measures disrupted public transport services, increased the risk of gendered violence in empty public spaces, and heightened mobility restrictions for women. For instance, a Manipur-based CBO shared that even after lockdowns eased and training centers re-opened, women were unable to re-join trainings as they did not have a means to commute.

4. Social norms. In a pre-COVID-19 survey, 58% of female trainees cited marriage, 21% cited family issues, and another 7.5% cited family perception of ITIs being more suited for males as major reasons dropping out of skill training programs. Consultations show that with COVID-19, families have become even more reluctant to allow young women to step out for training. For instance, a Delhi-based CBO conducting training for women to take up cab-driving saw much higher resistance from families post COVID-19.

5. Wage gaps and low likelihood of employment post training: Even after training, women’s likelihood of obtaining a job was lower than men. About 46.9% of women who received formal vocational training did not enter the labour force, vs. 12.7% of men (NSSO 2019). An analysis of data from 64 ITIs shows that only 25.6% of female trainees received job offers in 2018-19. In a survey of employers, 50% of MSMEs and 32% of large companies expressed a reluctance to employ women owing to the need to ensuring their security, risks with involving them in heavy manual labour, and their interest in working in closer proximity to their homes. Women also suffer gendered wage gaps. Between 1993-2018, the average wages for female casual workers in urban settings stood at ~63% of the male wage. Consultations showed that during COVID-19, these gender-biases could worsen, especially across small businesses owing to repeated macroeconomic shocks and working capital constraints.

The Government of India (GOI) has recognized women as a priority group under the Skill India Mission. Further, the GOI’s recent announcement to conduct a tracer study to gauge the impact of PMKVY on female labour force participation is a much-needed intervention to understand the correlation between skill development and employability for women.

As the country moves on to a medium-term path of economic recovery post-COVID19, several additional measures can be considered by the GOI to encourage government and private training providers to undertake gender-inclusive skilling interventions.

The GOI could formulate an incentives-based approach with gender targets for all courses under its National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF). Reward mechanisms can be created such that training partners become eligible for additional financial support if new modules are devised for women’s training, or if there is an increase in enrolment and placement of female candidates, especially in non-traditional trades.

A composite national and state level ranking of skilling institutes should be devised to assess gender mainstreaming efforts, including increasing awareness, recruiting female faculty and offering counselling services for female candidates and potential employers.

There is also an urgent need to create gender sensitive infrastructure at skill training institutions, with procurement standards of private training partners under government schemes mandating separate washrooms, strict security, balanced gender ratio of trainers and the provision of safe transport. Gender sensitive infrastructure should be standardized across all government and private skilling institutes.

A host of long-term structural barriers, such as occupational segregation, the income effect of rising household-incomes, and increased mechanization, which when combined with increased unpaid work, growing gender disparities in education, and heightened mobility restrictions due to the pandemic, have intensified the challenges of bringing women back to work. Thus, bridging the gender gaps in skill training and making women ready for a digitized, technology-driven post-COVID-19 workplace, should be a priority for GOI.

08/12/2024 0 comments 25 views

लड़कियों की शिक्षा पर कोरोना का प्रभाव

by Rajesh Singh 08/12/2024

written by Rajesh Singh

By Rajesh Singh

कोरोना महामारी के चलते जब सारे शैक्षणिक संस्थान बन्द है तब शिक्षा का जो स्वरूप बदला है, वह ना तो हमारे देश के छात्रों और ना ही छात्राओं के लिए अच्छा है, क्योंकि इसमें ना तो परस्पर क्रिया है और ना ही सहभागिता। यूनेस्को (संयुक्त राष्ट्र शैक्षणिक, वैज्ञानिक एवं सांस्कृतिक संगठन) के अनुसार भारत में लॉकडाउन के कारण लगभग 32 करोड़ छात्र छात्राओं की पढ़ाई रुकी है, जिसमे लगभग 15.81 करोड़ केवल लड़कियां हैं।

कोरोना महामारी से शिक्षण संस्थान मुख्य रूप से स्कूलों के बंद होने से लड़कियों (खासकर ग्रामीण क्षेत्र में रहने वाली) को सबसे ज्यादा नुकसान हुआ है। अब जब स्कूल जाना नहीं तब उन पर घर के कार्यों का बोझ बढ़ा है I हालांकि पहले भी घर के कार्यों में वो अपना योगदान देती थी, परंतु पहले ये होता था कि सुबह स्कूल जाना है, वहां 6 घंटे रहना है, स्कूल से आकर स्कूल का कार्य करना है, इसमें उनका काफी वक्त लग जाता था जिसके चलते उन्हें घर के सारे कार्य नहीं करने पड़ते थे I परंतु अब सुबह से लेकर शाम तक घर का सारा कार्य उन्हें करना पड़ता है I घर में बड़े बुजुर्ग भी ये कहते हैं कि जब स्कूल नहीं जाना तो कम से कम घर के कार्य करने ही सीख जाओ। इसके साथ ही प्राथमिक स्कूल की बच्चियां जिन्होंने अभी स्कूल जाना शुरू किया था, अभी सीखना शुरू किया था,की तरफ किसी का कोई ध्यान नहीं जा रहा, उनका भविष्य अंधकार में धकेला जा रहा है I आमतौर पर जब कोई इंसान कुछ सीखना शुरू करता है तो उसे अभ्यास की ज़रूरत होती है, यदि कोई चीज़ सीखी हो और उसका अभ्यास ना किया जाए तो बहुत जल्दी वो चीज़ भूल भी जाते हैं और बच्चों जिन्होंने अभी अभी सीखना शुरू किया है उनके लिए सीखी हुई चीजों का अभ्यास करना ज्यादा महत्वपूर्ण हैI

परंतु अब जब पिछले 15 महीनों से स्कूल बंद है तब कैसे छोटे बच्चे घर में अभ्यास करें? हो सकता है कि कुछ परिवार अपने बच्चों को प्रतिदिन कुछ पढ़ा कर अभ्यास करवा पाएं पंरतु लगभग 70 फीसदी परिवार ऐसे है जो दिहाड़ी मजदूरी करके अपना और परिवार का पेट पालते हैं, उनके पास इतना वक्त नहीं होता कि वो अपने बच्चों को पढ़ा पाए I इनमे से भी अधिकतर माता पिता खुद अनपढ़ है तो वो कैसे अपने बच्चों को कुछ सीखा पाएंगे और अगर बच्चा लड़की है तो उसपर बिल्कुल ध्यान नहीं दिया जाता I यदि ट्यूशन भी लगाना हो तो आम जन लड़कियों की बजाए लड़कों को ज्यादा तरजीह देते हैं। इसके साथ ही जो लड़कियां कक्षा 9 या 10 में पढ़ती थी उनकी शादियां हो रही है जिससे उन्हें शारीरिक और मानसिक रूप से बड़े बदलाव के दौर में जीना पड़ रहा है।

यूनेस्को की शिक्षा विभाग की सहायक महानिदेशक “स्टेफेनिया गियनिनी” ने पिछले वर्ष कहा था कि इस महामारी के कारण शैक्षणिक संस्थान बंद होना लड़कियों के लिए बीच मे ही पढ़ाई छोड़ने की चेतवानी है। इससे शिक्षा में लैंगिक अंतर जहां और बढ़ेगा वहीं विवाह की कानूनी उम्र से पहले ही लड़कियों की शादी की संभावनाओं से भी इंकार नहीं किया जा सकता है।

सरकार ने हालांकि शिक्षा बिल्कुल ना रुके इसके लिए ऑनलाइन शिक्षा शुरू की, परंतु भारत में पर्याप्त संख्या में ना तो ऑनलाइन शिक्षा के लिए यंत्र हैं और ना ही आम जन के पास इन्हें चलाने की कला। लोकनीति सीएसडीएस ने अपनी 2019 की रिपोर्ट में बताया कि ग्रामीण क्षेत्रो मे केवल 6 फीसदी परिवारों में और शहरी क्षेत्रों में 25 फीसदी परिवारों के पास कंप्यूटर है। और केवल एक तिहाई घरों में ही स्मार्ट फोन है, इसमें भी अधिकतर घरों में एक ही स्मार्टफोन है, जिसे पूरा परिवार प्रयोग करता है, और ये फोन घर के मुख्य व्यक्ति के पास रहता है, वो जब घर होता है तभी बच्चे उसे प्रयोग कर सकते हैं, और बच्चों में भी लड़कियों की बारी लड़कों के बाद में आती है।

राष्ट्रीय प्रतिदर्श सर्वेक्षण कार्यालय ने अपनी 2017-2018 की रिपोर्ट में कहा था कि भारत में केवल 24 फीसदी परिवारों के पास ही इंटरनेट की सुविधा है। अर्थात् 70 फीसदी परिवारों के पास ना तो कंप्यूटर है ना ही स्मार्टफोन और ना ही इंटरनेट और इसके साथ साथ घरों में ना तो पर्याप्त जगह है जहां पर बैठ कर शांति से बच्चे पढ़ सके और ना ही ऐसा माहौल जिसमे कुछ सीखा जा सके तो इस दौर में ऑनलाइन शिक्षा कैसे सम्भव है? सबसे महत्वपूर्ण तथ्य ये भी है कि ग्रामीण परिवेश में रहने वाले अधिकतर लोगों को सोशल मीडिया चलाना ही नहीं आता I दूसरा जो काम स्कूल द्वारा भेजा जाता है उसे बच्चे समझ ही नहीं पाते कि इसे करना कैसे है, उन्हें बताने वाला कोई नहीं है, और फोन जब शाम को घर आता है तब उसकी बैट्री लगभग खत्म होने को होती है और ग्रामीण क्षेत्रों में बिजली भी 24 घंटे उपलब्ध नहीं होती I इस प्रकार ऐसे अनेकों कारण है जिनकी वजह से ग्रामीण बच्चों और खासकर लड़कियों की पढ़ाई छूट रही है। अब उन्हें वापिस मुख्यधारा में लाना अपने आप में एक चुनौती है।

“दिल्ली आईआईटी की प्रोफेसर डॉ. रीतिका खेड़ा ने कहा है कि ऑनलाइन शिक्षा गरीबों के बच्चों के साथ भद्दा मज़ाक है”।

यूनिसेफ ने प्राथमिक शिक्षा को सबसे ज्यादा महत्वपूर्ण व प्रभावशाली बताया है और कहा है कि जब भी लॉकडाउन जैसा कदम उठाना हो तब प्राथमिक स्कूलों को सबसे बाद में बंद करना चाहिए और जब सब कुछ खुलने लगे तो प्राथमिक स्कूलों को ही सबसे पहले खोलना चाहिए। क्यूंकि हम देखते है की घर के बड़े महिला पुरुष अपने अपने कार्यों को करने के लिए बाहर आते जाते रहते हैं इसलिए यदि वायरस आने का उन्हें कोई खतरा नहीं है तो बच्चों को खतरा कैसे हो सकता है। दूसरी सबसे खास बात ये है कि छोटे बच्चों में संक्रमण का खतरा कम है और इसके साथ साथ यदि प्राथमिक स्कूलों को लंबे समय तक बन्द रखा जाता है तो छोटे बच्चे कुछ भी संख्या या शब्दों को सीख नहीं पाएंगे, जिससे आने वाले समय में उन्हें भारी समस्याओं को सामना करना पड़ेगा। परंतु भारत में अब जब सब खुल चुका है तब कक्षा 9 से 12 तक के स्कूल सबसे पहले खुलने शुरू हुए हैं, जबकि होना इसका उल्टा चाहिए था क्यूंकि इन बड़े बच्चों को कम से कम लिखना पढ़ना तो आता ही है इसलिए इनका जितना नुकसान होना था वो हो चुका परंतु छोटे बच्चों का नुकसान तो प्रतिदिन हो रहा है।

और हम देखें कि यदि छोटी बच्चियों को पढ़ने का अवसर नहीं मिला तो निश्चित रूप से उनकी शादी भी कानूनी उम्र से पहले ही होएगी, उसके बाद उन्हें शारीरिक और मानसिक तनाव का सामना भी करना पड़ सकता है और अनपढ़ता के दौर में शादियों में एक लड़की देके दूसरी लड़की लेने का प्रचलन भी बढ़ने की सम्भावना है। इसलिए सरकार को लड़कियों व उनके भविष्य और एक बेहतर भारत के निर्माण को ध्यान में रखते हुए सारे शिक्षण संस्थान खोल देने चाहिए और ऑफलाइन शिक्षा पुन: शुरू करनी चाहिए क्योंकि कोई भी देश लड़कियों को मुख्यधारा में शामिल किए बिना ना तो अपना विकास कर सकता है और ना ही वहां सभ्य समाज का निर्माण हो सकता है।

08/12/2024 0 comments 24 views

Achievements of Women In Olympics, 2020

by Guest Author 08/12/2024

written by Guest Author

Author: Pooja Bhattacharjee

The recently concluded Tokyo Olympics gave people from all over the world a reason to celebrate. Considering the highly anxious environment at the Olympic village as well as the galloping threat of COVID – 19, the women athletes gave a stunning performance. The International Olympic Committee branded the 2020 edition as ‘the first ever gender-balanced Olympic Games in history’ with 49% of the 11,656 athletes being female. This is an amazing feat, considering that women were barred from participating in the Olympics when it first began. It shows not only the hard work that women athletes put in, but also the dedication and sacrifice of all the women who paved the way for them.

Indian athletes proved their mettle by giving exemplary performances at the games and showed that there is nothing that can affect their hard work and resilience. Out of the 127 athletes sent to the Tokyo Olympics by India, 56 athletes were women. India’s total medal tally at the Olympics stood at 7, which made history as being the highest ever India won in a single edition. Out of 7 medals, 3 were won by women. Mirabai Chanu won the Silver Medal in Weight Lifting (Women’s 49kg) and opened the books for Indian athletes for this edition. PV Sindhu bagged a Bronze Medal in Women’s Single Badminton and Lovlina Borgohain won India a Bronze Medal in Women’s Welterweight Boxing.

Indian Women’s Hockey team may not have won a medal at the Olympics but they scripted history at the games by giving their best-ever Olympic performance in Tokyo. Aditi Ashok gave an unbelievably amazing performance and finished 4th in the Women’s Golf final at Tokyo 2020. Ms. CA Bhavani Devi made history by being the first fencer to represent India at the Olympics. This number can be increased if more women, especially women from small towns and villages have access to the sport facilities.

Internationally too, women dominated the games. The U.S. women finished the Games with 66 medals, followed by China. The U.S women’s basketball team claimed its seventh consecutive gold, while the water polo team won its third gold in a row and the volleyball team won its first gold. Allyson Felix in her fifth Olympics claimed bronze in the 400 meters and gold in the 4×400 relay, giving her the 10th and 11th Olympic medals of her career. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz became the first Philippine athlete to win an Olympic gold medal. Japan’s women’s basketball team won its first silver medal. Gymnasts from the Russian Olympic Committee won gold in the team event for the first time since 1992.

It is true that not all women athletes who participated in the Tokyo Olympics left with a medal. But all of them left a legacy of hardwork and strength, of sacrifice and overcoming the struggles and breaking the patriarchy which existed in this field to a great extent along with inspiring a generation of young girls to take interest in sports.

08/12/2024 0 comments 27 views

Chhattisgarh marching ahead in promoting Girl’s Education with campaign “Har Kadam Beti Ke Sang”

by Shivangi Sharma 08/12/2024

written by Shivangi Sharma

Shivangi Sharma

COVID-19 pandemic with all its challenges has hit hard on children’s education, especially girls. With persisting gender inequality and increasing poverty, upto 10 million girls are at risk of dropping out of school because of the pandemic. RTE Forum in their policy brief earlier this year notes that with 1.6 million girls aged 11 to 14 years currently out of school, the pandemic could disproportionally impact girls further by putting them at risk of early marriage, early pregnancy, poverty, trafficking and violence. In light of these concerns, Room to Read and International NGO in collaboration with Chhattisgarh government is running a campaign called “Har Kadam Beti ke Sang, Leadership ki Tarang 2021” focused to bring out powerful leadership stories of girls and their families and caregivers to demonstrate resilience and leadership, despite all the challenges that have come and may come.

Room to Read is an International NGO that believes that world change starts with educated children and based on that belief, they collaborate with communities, organisations and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and support girls to complete secondary school with relevant life skills to succeed in schools and beyond. In this national level campaign to improve Girl’s Education, Room to Read has designed an array of life skills materials that has been launched by School Education Minister of Chhattisgarh Dr. Premsai Tekram as a part of the Covid-19 outreach program and commitment towards girls’ education.

“I urge girls to take a vow to study with all their heart, to never let anything stop them, and to become leaders in their communities. Let us come together to help our girls. Har Kadam Beti Ke Sang Leadership Ki Tarang”, said school education minister Dr Premsai Tekam, reported by Times of India.

The campaign has brought to light powerful leadership stories of girls and their families who overcame all the hardships brought by Covid. As reported by Times of India, Geeta, a bright and diligent student of 10th standard, who lost her father to the coronavirus. She always aspired to be a doctor and serve the people in the best of her capacities for which she has always been participative in health related initiatives in her village. The loss that Geeta and her family bore was irreplaceable. Yet, Geeta had to toughen her shoulders to bear the responsibility of her mother and little ones in her family. With time, Geeta and her mother joined the Anganwadi workers to spread awareness about the virus. Geeta and her mother strived hard so that nobody had to bear the loss due to Covid-19. Geeta also started stitching masks and distributing them among children in her village. Besides, she now lives to study and work hard, for herself and for her father, who till his last breath cared about every student’s education as much as he cared about his own daughter’s.

Another such inspiring story is of Chitralekha hailing from a small village in Chhattisgarh. The very day that Chitralekha turned 16, her life saw a downfall from the very moment the mother uttered the words, “marriage”. A myriad of obnoxious feelings took over, her dreams, her aspirations; all of them came crumbling down to nothing. Chitralekha stood tall and with the support of her brother and the R2R India team ensured that the marriage was called off and she continued to pursue her education. This campaign intends to reach out to all vulnerable girls like Chitralekha.

The state-wide campaign is targeted at 15,881 girls residing in 179 government girls’ residential institutions including Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya, Ashram Shalas and Porta Cabins in all the 28 districts under Project Vijayi. Project Vijayi was started by Room to Read in year 2018 with partnership of Education Department and Tribal Welfare Department of State of Chhattisgarh which is a life skill program. In this Project, one Warden and one Teacher from residential institutions got trained and they deliver quality Life Skill Sessions with girls from grade six to eight. In addition, 2,504 girls from 13 non-residential government schools in two districts Raipur and Dhamtari will get benefitted from various online reading materials, circulars, take care cards and e-magazines. The campaign intends to negate the impact of Covid-19 pandemic that has severely impacted the education system across India especially the lives of young adolescent girls beyond their education too. It intends to empower the girls with education and life skills to help them lead a better life without the fear of being married off or making them vulnerable to poverty.

08/12/2024 0 comments 41 views

Tribulation Of Innocent Hands

by Guest Author 08/12/2024

written by Guest Author

By Advocate Meenu Padha; Co- Authors – Tavleen Kaur & Vinayak Sonkar

India needs an instant nationwide awareness and campaigns against the child labour to protect and safeguard children from the economic and social consequences which has been faced due to Covid-19 crisis and lockdowns. Although some of us are practicing social distancing and actively working from home in the hope of a much better tomorrow, there are still a large number of children who may be victims of seemingly positive measures. One effect is the increase in the number of child labour. For many children, the Covid-19 crisis means little or no education due to poverty or less means of technology which will ultimately lead them to lag behind their peers. This will prompt a large number of children to stop learning even after we return to “normalcy” post COVID. Many children who are not in school will embroil themselves in child labour. In the two waves of Covid-19 in India, lakhs of men and women, many of whom did not have stable jobs and depended on daily wages, became unemployed or faced low income which had a spiralling effect on their children. Due to lockdown, the schools are unable to run physically and only a few people can access or receive online education. In the first wave of Covid19 in 2020, more than three-fourth of children did not have access to online learning facility and more than half of the children did not have access to any learning materials. The increasing anxiety of parents, shortage of learning material, low income and non-access to online education, all together has led to an increase in child labour.

The epidemic is clearly appearing to be a child rights crisis, which is increasing the risk of child labour, because more families are falling into extreme poverty. As stated by the United Nations Organisation, 160 million of child labour cases have increased to 8.4 million over the consecutive four years and Covid-19 has been a major contributor to this. Children from poor and disadvantaged families in India are now at a greater risk such as dropping out of school and being forced to work. Lakhs of families in emerging and developing countries are employed as daily workers in the informal sector (rickshaw drivers, construction workers, street vendors, workers in small factories, etc.). In particular, they have lost revenue due to the overwhelming effects of the global lockdown and the pandemic. The sharp decline in income means that families cannot afford basic necessities or money for children’s health care or education. In the formal sector as well, factory closures in countless countries have led to massive layoffs and loss of income, with major consequences being faced by lakhs of workers and their families. As adults are at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus than children, the ultimate pressure is increasing upon children specially in poor families, to take the whole responsibility of family and bridge the gap of basic necessity. Since the production base is still looking for the cheapest labour, children are considered to be a very cheap option for such labours and work to meet their demands. Even before the epidemic, the figures for child labour in India were dismal. According to the Census 2011 statistics, the overall number of child labourers in India between the ages of 5 and 14 is 4.35 million (major workers) and 5.76 million (marginal workers), for a total of 10.11 million. Furthermore, there are 22.87 million teenage labourers in India, bringing the total (in the age bracket of 5-18 years) to about 33 million.

In addition to child labour, there are myriad facets of this problem which both result from child labour and also contribute to it. As per the National Crime Records Bureau, in India, one child disappears every eight minutes. India also has the highest child trafficking cases. Children are sometimes removed from their homes to be purchased and sold in the market. In other situations, youngsters are duped into falling into the hands of traffickers by being offered a job, only to be enslaved upon arrival. There are many children trafficked for a variety of causes, including work, begging, and sexual exploitation. Because of the nature of this crime, it is both difficult to trace these children and also prevent their exploitation effectively due to weak law enforcement. While we have an estimate of the issue, understanding its exact scope, and getting ascertainable numbers is very hard. Though the majority of child trafficking happens within the nation, a considerable number of children are trafficked from Nepal and Bangladesh.

Child trafficking is caused by a variety of factors, the most common of which are poverty, ineffective law enforcement, and a lack of high-quality public education. The traffickers that take advantage of children can be from another area in India, or could even know the child personally. Children who return home after being trafficked are typically shunned by their communities rather than welcomed. Poverty, a lack of education, and the need to financially support their family are some of the core causes of child trafficking in India. India’s unemployment rate is quite high, with the United Nations Development Programme estimating it to be 3.5 percent. Furthermore, there aren’t a lot of income opportunities. When youngsters are given the opportunity to labour, they are more likely to be exploited. Children in poverty are frequently compelled to trade sex in exchange for a place to live or food to eat. Some parents have even been compelled to sell their children to traffickers in order to get out of poverty or pay off debts. Gangs frequently traffic children and compel them to beg on the streets. Contemporary cases of begging can be seen in most of the metropolises. Not only are these children being forced to beg for money, but a significant number of those on the streets have had gang leaders forcefully remove their limbs or even pour acid into their eyes to blind them. Those children who are injured tend to make more money by invoking the empathy of the people, which is why they are often abused in this way. Organ trafficking is also widespread, with traffickers tricking or forcing minors to give up their organs.

As per UNICEF, over 300,000 children under the age of 18 are presently being exploited in more than 30 violent situations throughout the world. While the bulk of child soldiers are aged 15 to 18, some are as young as 7 or 8 years old. A huge number of youngsters are kidnapped and forced to serve as soldiers. Others work as porters, chefs, guards, servants, messengers, and spies. Many of these young soldiers have been sexually assaulted, which frequently results in unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted illnesses. Some youngsters have been coerced into carrying out crimes against their families and communities. A lot of children are also made to steal, snatch, kill with a mindset that it is an essential for their living .

Currently, 152 million youngsters, 64 million girls and 88 million boys, labour across the world. This represents nearly one-tenth of all children worldwide. There are about 10 million youngsters in India who are actively engaged in or pursuing employment. Despite considerable attempts done in recent years by the UN, ILO, and individual nations like India, this remains the case. Failure to minimize the number of minors exploited in job circumstances is due to the socio-cultural fabric that allows it to happen and condones the offence, as well as the enormous demand for inexpensive child labour in agricultural, mining, carpet-weaving, garment, brick kiln, and other sectors, as well as the pervasive poverty that continues to be both a cause and a function of child labour.

Selling of minor girls for prostitution is a big subject of concern. These minor girls are syndicated to enormous abuses one cannot even imagine. They are molested, harassed, raped, exploited, stalked, beaten and many more injuries are caused to those small teeny bodies which are sabotaged with cigars, burns, wounds and blood through their legs. While they feel the pain in the earlier years, in later years, girls come to accept it as their fate.

They perceive it as a way of living and consider sexual abuse as a necessary exchange for drugs, food, shelter, protection and other basics of life. Children who are exploited for commercial sex are subjected to child pornography and child prostitution transactions. Commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) of women and children earns around $400 million USD each year in Mumbai alone. According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), there are around three million prostitutes in the nation, with an estimated 40% of them being youngsters, since there is an increasing desire for extremely young girls to be initiated into prostitution according to customer preferences. Sexual exploitation has many serious implications for these youngsters.

Now the main question which comes up every now and then is – Will the government and general public take strong steps to prevent the abuse of the children and stop child labour and child trafficking?

On a national level, human trafficking is expressly prohibited in Article 23 of the Indian Constitution. To combat the issue of child trafficking, the Indian government has also passed further legislation and modified the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act of 1986 (ITPA) amends the Suppression of Immoral Traffic in Women and Girls Act of 1956. (SITA). Human trafficking for prostitution was deemed illegal by SITA, and legal action was detailed for anybody participating in human trafficking in any capacity. ITPA made laws friendlier towards the victim. ITPA also created a system to rehabilitate victims of trafficking and prevent them from bring trafficked again. In 2013, IPC was amended to create new provisions to address Trafficking in India that is more in accordance with the United Nations Protocol to Prevent, Suppress, and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Particularly Women and Children. State governments have also been observed taking steps to combat child trafficking by attempting to create systems and regulations at the state level. Non-governmental organisations that strive to solve various parts of this issue fill up any gaps in the execution of plans and regulations.

Although India is regarded as a centre for human trafficking, the Indian government places little emphasis on the issue. Hence the way in which the current legal system operates to address child labour in India can be considered as coming into direct conflict with the trend of independent child migration that is seen across the country. Therefore, legal measures are not enough. Every person needs to understand the gravity of this issue, make themselves aware, and keep their eyes and minds open, to help the government where ever possible in tracking the cases of child labour and preventing it.

08/12/2024 0 comments 25 views

The Widening Gender Pay Gap is a Looming National Crisis

by Mani Chander 08/12/2024

written by Mani Chander

Mani Chander

Of 153 countries, India is placed at an abysmal 149^th position in economic participation and opportunity according to the Gender Gap Index Report of 2020. Over the last few months, this gender gap has further exacerbated as many women continue to take substantial pay cuts and have lost jobs owing to the pandemic. An Oxfam India report estimates the economic loss from women losing their jobs during the pandemic at about $216 billion – this would mean knocking off a striking 8% from the country’s gross domestic product. It is for this reason that the gender pay gap should no longer be viewed as merely a social problem. A national crisis is before us and we must deal with it head-on.

So what’s causing this “She-cession”? Since the onset of the pandemic, reports across the world suggested that women are more likely than others to bear the economic burden. But this has turned out to be particularly true for Indian women. Not only do fewer women work in India when compared to other countries, but they also get paid way less than working women in other countries. Besides, Indian women are more vulnerable due to our inherently patriarchal society as marriage and maternity typically take center stage in a woman’s lives. According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development statistics, on average, women in India spend almost 352 minutes per day on unpaid work such as household chores, childcare and looking after elderly parents, as opposed to just 52 minutes by their male counterparts.

Prior to the lockdown women in India contributed 18% to the country’s economic output, about half of the global average. Now, with the coronavirus outbreak this percentage is set back even further due to the unreasonable expectation that women, by default, are exclusively responsible for all household duties. In essence, working women are now juggling multiple roles. Their domestic help is no longer available, children are off schools and older parents who are vulnerable to the virus require special care. For these reasons, women are dealing with additional stress leading to reduced productivity at work, and as a result, they are being increasingly perceived by employers as easy targets for pay cuts and layoffs.

Unlike other countries, where women who are laid off are compensated with social security benefits, Indian women are left bereft of such benefits in case of layoffs. Self-employed women and those who are employed on a temporary or contractual basis are particularly disadvantaged as they have little to no security or legal protections to fall back on. While many other countries have offered comprehensive unemployment insurance to working women facing hardships, women in India are further handicapped by the sheer lack of it.

The most significant factor that puts India at a back-footing when compared to other countries, however, is that a majority (ranging from 88 to 95 percent) of women continue to work in the unorganised sector, many of whom are migrant workers who were forced out of jobs due to the pandemic. Their employment is concentrated in labour intensive, low-growth and low-productivity sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and construction. Over a period of time, women in these sectors are likely to lose more jobs with the surge in mechanisation and automation. Interestingly, McKinsey Global Institute in a 2019 Report estimated that up to 12 million Indian women could lose their jobs by 2030 owing to automation in these sectors. Without question, such a catastrophe would halt or even reverse any progress made towards enhancing women’s participation in the workforce.

The female wage in India is 60-65% of the male wage since the last three decades. Before the pandemic unleashed, the World Economic Forum in its Global Gender Gap Report of 2020 painted a grim picture. It indicated that it would take a century to reach pay parity. If we continue to ignore the economic inequalities caused by the pandemic, any prospects of closing the gap even in the next 100 years will be further hampered.

It is evident that the effects of the pandemic are gender conscious, so it stands to reason that our efforts to overcome them involve a gendered response. What India needs is an effective re-evaluation of its policies and targeted interventions by the civil society, government and private sector. Instead of reinforcing mechanisms and cultural norms that push women out of jobs, it is time we begin investing in women as the pillars of nation building – by rewarding them with equal pay for equal work, if not more.

Let’s bridge the gap.

* Views are personal. This piece is the first in the series “Bridge the Gap” presented by The Womb. The author of the series is a Delhi based practicing lawyer who holds a special interest in gender justice. She is admitted to the New York State Bar and holds a Master’s degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, United States.

08/12/2024 0 comments 26 views

The Impact of Covid-19 on Sexual and Reproductive Health of Women

by Srinivas Rayappa 08/12/2024

written by Srinivas Rayappa

“They slipped briskly into an intimacy from which they never recovered” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns which followed thereafter, has essentially led to several partners being quarantined at home. While this has been a wonderful time for cohabiting couples to connect with each other, several questions have been raised with regards to the safety of this intimacy.

Veering between social distancing and close cohabitation, many thousands of couples are rediscovering each other as cities and towns across the country go into lockdown. However, with this increased intimacy, many pharmacies as well as e-commerce sites have reported rising sales of condoms and contraceptive pills. While social media is abuzz with jokes and memes, some experts are concerned about the impact this could have on the sexual and reproductive health of women. During the initial days of the pandemic, the spike in sales of condoms and contraceptives were attributed to hoarding, dispelling the myth that couples were getting more intimate. Eventually, there was a marginal dip in sales but the lack of free movement of goods globally, has led to severe shortage of condoms and contraceptives. There is a real risk and grave threat that some of the supply chains are going to be broken and that there might be more stockouts and shortages in the months ahead.

According to a recent report by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the number of women unable to access contraception, experiencing unintended pregnancies and facing gender-based violence has skyrocketed as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

“This new data shows the catastrophic impact that COVID-19 could soon have on women and girls globally,” Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director said in a press release. “The pandemic is deepening inequalities, and millions more women and girls now risk losing the ability to plan their families and protect their bodies and their health.”

The data released by UNFPA, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, predicts that over 47 million women could lose access to contraception, resulting in 7 million unplanned pregnancies if the lockdown continues for six months.
The World Health Organization this month said two-thirds of 103 countries surveyed between mid-May and early July reported disruptions to family planning and contraception services.

Unintended pregnancies can occur among women of all incomes, educational levels, and ages. Negative outcomes associated with unintended pregnancy include delays in initiating prenatal care, reduced likelihood of breastfeeding and increased risk of maternal depression and parenting stress.
A surge in teen pregnancies was reported in Kenya, while some young women in Nairobi’s Kibera slum resorted to using broken glass, sticks and pens to try to abort pregnancies, said Diana Kihima with the Women Promotion Center. Two died of their injuries, while some can no longer conceive.
Due to limited availability of surgical abortion services, particularly in rural areas, and barriers on availability of medical abortion drugs at chemists, many women may be forced to resort to unsafe providers, risking their health and lives during the lockdown period.

In parts of West Africa, the provision of some contraceptives fell by nearly 50 percent compared to the same period last year, said the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
“I’ve never seen anything like this apart from countries in conflict,” said Diana Moreka, a coordinator of the MAMA Network that connects women and girls to care across 16 African countries. Calls have increased to their hotlines, including those launched since the pandemic began in Congo, Zambia and Cameroon. More than 20,000 women have called since January.

The Women’s Health forecast has published some alarming statistics: There has been a 10% drop in Reproductive Healthcare. 49 million more women do not access to contraception which could lead to 15 million more unintended pregnancies, 168000 more newborn deaths, 28,000 more maternal deaths and 3 million more unsafe abortions.

Family Planning efforts has been upended by the Coronavirus pandemic. Health experts fear irreparable harm has been done to India’s already struggling family planning efforts. Many women are no longer receiving potentially life-saving services that can help them make informed choices about delaying, preventing, and spacing pregnancies. V.S. Chandrashekar, Chief Executive Officer at the Foundation for Reproductive Health Services India (FRHS), said, “Live births may actually be higher since access to abortion is impacted during the lockdown. Women with unintended pregnancy may be forced to carry their pregnancy to term, since they may not have access to abortion care.”
In the Indian context, an analysis of HMIS data by Population Foundation of India shows that during the months of national lockdown last year between April and June, compared to the same period in 2019, there was a 27% drop in pregnant women receiving four or more ante-natal check-ups, a 28% decline in institutional deliveries and 22% decline in prenatal services.

The failure of the health system to cope with COVID-19 pandemic resulted in an increase in maternal deaths and stillbirths, according to a study published in The Lancet Global Health Journal. The impact on pregnancy outcomes high on poorer countries, says the study. Overall, there was a 28% increase in the odds of stillbirth, and the risk of mothers dying during pregnancy or childbirth increased by about one-third. There was also a rise in maternal depression, impacting the child’s health. COVID-19 impact on pregnancy outcomes was disproportionately high on poorer countries, according to the study published.

Many routine and elective services have already been postponed or suspended by both Government and private setups in most parts of the world because of the unprecedented pandemic of COVID-19. Healthcare systems everywhere in the world are under pressure. Being a component of essential health services, family planning and abortion services should continue to cater the population in order to prevent the complications arising from unintended pregnancies and sudden rise in STIs.

When health systems are overwhelmed, countries need to make difficult decisions to balance the demands of responding directly to COVID-19, while simultaneously engaging in strategic planning and coordinated action to maintain essential health service delivery. The provision of many services will become more challenging. Women’s choices and rights to sexual and reproductive health care, however, should be respected regardless of COVID-19 status.

While the lockdowns imposed across the globe due to the Covid-19 pandemic has caused immeasurable damage to mankind, the the differential impact it has had on the sexual and reproductive health of women needs immediate attention. The “Baby Boom” in the United States should be a gentle reminder of the potential problems which might arise if sufficient attention is not paid to the sexual and reproductive health of women. The coming year may well bring a baby boom few can afford, along with a dangerous increase in unsafe abortions. It’s high time the world took note and made necessary amends.

08/12/2024 0 comments 24 views

Shadow Pandemic – The Lurking Ghost called “Domestic Violence”

by Srinivas Rayappa 08/12/2024

written by Srinivas Rayappa

The imact of the Covid-19 pandemic has not been gender neutral. There has been a differential impact on women, which is cause of serious concern. Emerging data and reports from those on the front lines, have shown that women and girls have been subjugated to all types of violence, especially domestic violence.

If one were to wade through the annals of history, it is noticeable that violence against women tends to increase in any emergency, including epidemics. Immense stress, disruption of social and protective networks, economic vulnerability and dwindling access to services can exacerbate the risk of women being susceptible to violence.

Understandably Covid-19 has dominated the world’s agenda. Especially in the case of COVID-19, prolonged isolation, restricted physical movement and work-from-home measures to contain the spread of the virus have a particularly acute impact on women. The risk of women and their children being exposed to violence has dramatically increased as members of the family spend more time in close contact. Household stress intensifies, and the risk grows even greater when families also have to cope with potential economic uncertainty or job losses.

Closures of schools and child care facilities have increased the burden on parents, especially women. Distance learning or virtual classrooms often requires the supervision of parents or caretakers. Despite the penetration of internet globally, some families still don’t have access to a reliable internet connection, and childcare obligations may fall on friends, neighbors, or family members while parents work or are in search for work. Some occupations are considered essential and physical presence at work is mandatory while others have the freedom to work virtually. The cumulative stress of balancing work, child care, and children’s education has led to a rise in child abuse. Teachers, child care providers, and clinicians are having fewer interactions with children and families which is significantly reducing the opportunity to assess or recognize any signs of child abuse.

“Before the pandemic, 1 in 3 women would already experience gender-based violence in their lifetime. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this already critical issue”, cites an extremely concerned Melissa Alvarado, UN Women Specialist.

A staggering increase in the number of cases of domestic violence have been reported globally including the developed world. Several reports suggest that cases of domestic violence have tripled in countries like France, Cyprus and Singapore. In France, police reported a nationwide spike of about 30 percent in domestic violence. Christophe Castaner, the French interior minister, said he had asked officers to be on the lookout for abuse.

The Eastern Mediterranean Region has the second highest prevalence of violence against women (37%) worldwide. This is due to structural systems that maintain gender inequalities at different levels of society, compounded by political crises and socioeconomic instability in the region. The Covid-19 pandemic has only aggrevated the situation.

In India, where domestic violence has been a perennial problem, there has been a sharp rise in cases ever since the stringent lockdown was announced by the government. National Commission for Women’s (NCW) data showed that domestic violence complaints doubled after the nationwide lockdown was imposed in India. Tamil Nadu Police have reported an increase in domestic violence complaints. They received approximately 25 calls every day during the lockdown period and registered at least 40 such cases. Similarly, Bangalore Police reported a spike in complaints from 10 calls to 25 calls every day from the victims of domestic violence.

In Spain, the emergency number for domestic violence received 18 percent more calls in the first two weeks of lockdown than in the same period a month earlier.

Around 42% of the Australian practitioners noted an increase in first-time family violence reporting by women.

Mahase reported a 60% increase in emergency calls related to violence against women by their intimate partners in Europe.

Similarly, Agüero (2020) found a 48% increase in helpline calls related to domestic violence in Peru.

In China, a Beijing-based NGO dedicated to combating violence against women, Equality, witnessed a a sudden surge in calls to its helpline, when the government locked down cities in Hubei Province, which was the epicenter of the pandemic outbreak.

A study on Ethiopian women found that almost one in four women experienced any form of domestic violence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Housewives aged less than 30 years, and with arrange marriage were at greater odds of experiencing domestic violence

At the heart of it, domestic violence has always been about power and control. Home isolation, however quintessential to prevent the spread of the virus, is giving still more power to the abuser. The isolation has also shattered support networks, making it far more strenuous and sometimes even impossible for victims to get help or escape. Sexual harassment and other forms of violence against women continue to occur on streets, in public spaces and online. Survivors have limited information and awareness about available services and limited access to the much needed support services.

In some countries, resources and efforts have been diverted from violence against women response to immediate COVID-19 relief, thus compounding the problem.

One interesting study reveals that the stricter the lockdown, the greater the risks of domestic violence. The most stringent lockdown was enforced in South Africa. Amongst other bans, liqour and cigarettes were strictly banned during the country-wide lockdown. One study claims that this has adversely affected the mental health of men and the incidences of domestic violence has increased significantly in South Africa. The magnitute of the problem is so significant that women are having to leave their homes along with their children to nearby shelter homes and distress centers. However, the fear of getting infected with the Covid-19 virus at these centers is dissuading others to tolerate the abuse and abuser at home.

Some advocates have raised concerns about a potential increase in intimate partner violence (IPV) ever since people were confined to their homes and personal movement was limited. Stay-at-home orders, even though rightly intended to protect the public and prevent widespread infection, has left many IPV victims trapped with their abusers. One in 4 women and one in 10 men experience IPV, and violence can take various forms: it can be physical, emotional, sexual, or psychological. Studies show that people of all races, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, socioeconomic classes, and religions experience IPV.

A Glimmer of Hope:

Not all seems to be lost though. Women are being creative about how they seek support. In some places women are going to Pharmacies and grocery stores to reach out for help. In some countries they are setting up pop-up crisis centers at pharmacies and grocery stores to help women subject to harrassment reach out for the much needed help. This is especially helpful when the abuser has confiscated the victims’ phone and other forms of communication are not accessible.

UN Women, the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women, has launched the Shadow Pandemic public awareness campaign, focusing on the global increase in domestic violence amid the COVID-19 health crisis.

The French Government has allocated 20,000 hotel rooms for abused women. Additional Control rooms have been setup by the French Police to distress calls.

Dr. Kemi DaSilvaIbru, a qualified physician with more than 15 years of experience in private practice, dedicates her time to addressing the needs of girls and women. Her unmitigated passion for women’s rights and protection led her to found Women at Risk International Foundation (WARIF) in Nigeria. The foundation addresses the prevalence of rape and gender-based violence through intervention and treatment for girls and women and by providing effective educational and community-based initiatives. She has been helping women and children who have been subjected to physical and sexual abuse during the pandemic.

Community gatekeepers who are at the forefront of rescuing abused women and children opine that the perpetrators get moved to the shed instead of the survivor. This indeed is a wise suggestion. Why should the abused person bear the brunt of shifting to a different location while the abuser gets away with the crime.

Despite all these praiseworthy initiatives during these precarious times, women subject to domestic violence are trapped at home with their abusers and the perpetrators are at a ear-shock distance. Phones and other assets of the victims have been confiscated making it very hard for them to seek support or help. The abusers are using the stringent lockdowns as an excuse to prevent their victims from moving out of their homes.

Ironically, since the pandemic erupted, it is heartwrenching to know that home is no longer the safe place for women, the true homemakers.

08/12/2024 0 comments 36 views

Nurses – The Unsung Heroes & Nursing – The Unthankful Job

by Elsa Joel 08/12/2024

written by Elsa Joel

By Dr. ELSA LYCIAS JOEL

From time immemorial women have been considered to be better caretakers. Nothing unusual about it. History has provided us with many examples of women as nurses and their contributions to our communities. Be it the lady with the lamp or the angel of the battlefield or sojourner truth or the first black woman general of USA or the first lady of nursing, there is no dearth of inspiration. All of us, at least when pandemics hit us come to know what the word ‘nurse’ stands for. The word is derived from the fifth-century post-Classical Latin nutrice a wet-nurse hired to provide an infant with breast milk when the infant’s mother would not or could not do so. Etymologically it is related to our modern word nourish.

As Britain prepares to celebrate Florence Nightingale’s 200th birthday on May 12, the whole world cling to nurses as their saviours and would not let go of them. In today’s scenario, despite intensive care many die. That doesn’t stop anyone from believing that nurses are a courageous lot under the most adverse conditions. Uncomplaining resilience and calm professionalism displayed by them make known that they should be considered essential elements of all societies, at all times. With a long history, they are everywhere as members of the largest health care profession in diverse settings and fields. Stories of army nurses have reinforced the fact that they do their best withstanding hardships at the front and have been awardees of ‘The Purple Heart’. We all know how vulnerable they are under the present circumstances as a vital link between the patient and the rest of the healthcare system. Raincoats and helmets in lieu of coveralls and masks, claps and clanging pots instead of PPEs and a pay raise, it’s a struggle day in and day out. Being around critically ill patients even when the surge hits is an act of self-denial. A listening ear and a calming touch even as they keep their senses alert for one small subtle change to determine what or who needs to be called reflects their flexibility, innovativeness, patience and adaptability.

Severe shortages of nurses characterizing the current and post pandemic periods is a result of governments’ lethargy and unpreparedness of governments in addition to an uneven battle with the deadly virus in turn threatening the delivery of health services to the public. Though nursing’s image takes on an heroic cast during pandemics and wars, the reality for most nurses is that the work is incredibly demanding with few financial rewards and poor working conditions. Nursing fails to keep up economically with other occupations. For the sake of four words – Humanity, Fortitude, Devotion and Sacrifice which describe this profession the best and for these words to ring true, the cracks in the current edifice of healthcare safety should not continually grow. For those thousands who died on duty leaving their colleagues and families shaken, their contributions are acknowledged as essential to victory against this evil called COVID19. If we think, nurses report for work in the most challenging of circumstances anyway, because that is their job we should rethink. Well, it’s also because they believe that respect for the inherent dignity and of human lives is a fundamental principle of their profession.

While nurses are looked upon as those holding the fort and expected to go on and on their psychosocial well-being is a concern. At these times, even behind a mask the nurses are not wholly successful in altering their outward demeanour and the presentation of what they see as their ‘detached’ face does not serve to mask feelings of exhaustion, demoralisation, anger or sorrow. Recently, with too many failings and deaths to handle, however, nurses find themselves having to perform a different kind of emotion management than that prescribed by their profession. They have to present the detached face of the professional career as fear of losing grips them. Next moment, they also have to handle intense joy on liberating someone from a ventilator, when another one stabilises and could breathe on her/his own again. ‘Smiling happiest faces’ also means they have to work hard on their emotions especially with families of patients whose expectations of a quality service have been raised beyond anything better than the best. An impending doom or an existing gloom, the overall effect is physically and psychologically palpable. Wobble rooms are indeed “rainbow rooms” that offer peace and quiet plus a space to have a safe conversation. Above all, nurses need not go home thinking, ‘I could have been the kindest to so and so’.

If we think nurses’ experience alternate between periods of intense activity, sleep and anxiety, we are wrong. It’s much more than that. Underpaid, under- resourced and overworked, they are barely holding it together. Patients who arrive in severe shock, others very sick demanding a high level of nursing care and many others on the verge of death needing a kind look or words of comfort, surrender themselves with ‘that’ look in their eyes. ‘Stoicism’ is the ruling word in times of profound upheaval, risk, and strain. Is there anything more traumatic than seeing the one you cared for in the previous shift with lot of hopes and prayers, in a body bag hours later? These soldiers who display courage in the face of duty are more than deserving of a ‘Maidstone Medal’ or “The Christiane Reimann Prize”. What’s more, they put the wellness of others before their own, and many accept their fate with incredible dignity. Bold voices clearly articulate ethical positions with an astute understanding of human rights, careful discernment of human rights violations and bold acceptance of professional responsibility. When push comes to shove, many expose racism despite knowing the ordeals ahead with their livelihood at stake, as more than life savers who are willing to advocate for victims and to collaborate with right thinking people in finding solutions to ethical and racial issues. Whatever, deafening sounds of oxygen will accompany them for years to come.

Forget Covid19 for a moment. In normal circumstances, to smooth the often turbulent path of interaction between patient and an overworked health specialist, nurses become able to tolerate differences, willingly keep aside potential perceptions and whole heartedly contribute to shared care plans even when multiple patient handoffs play foul in establishing a trusting and collegial relationship. Nurses must re-define stressful situations, carry on and do their job in any situation with or without resources. There seems to be no recognition anymore of the collective goodwill involved in providing a service, many a time selfless one. A bad job is definitely not excusable, but others involved with nurses ought to understand and appreciate the struggles or shortcomings. At the end of the day, they don’t feel like heroes but rush back home as a daughter, wife, mother, lover or a friend to feel belonged, to care and be cared for.

Still, everybody fights, nobody quits.

08/12/2024 0 comments 30 views

Are Covid patients dying due to Heart Attack?

by Guest Author 08/12/2024

written by Guest Author

08/12/2024 0 comments 20 views

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