With a view to address the issue of declining sex ratio and eliminate illegal practices of Sex Selection, Jatan initiated an Advocacy Campaign on Declining Sex Ratio in two blocks (Rajsamand and Railmagra) covering 50 villages of Rajsamand district. The endeavours at ensuring the widest public and stakeholder participation was done in an organized movement together with encouraging the participation of government, social and legal forces for reducing Sex Selection.
An action research was administered in Railmagra block of Rajsamand district to understand the causes and consequences of Sex Selection and the effect of PCPNDT Act and incentive schemes of Government through supporting mechanisms for effective implementation of the existing legislation and changing the mind-set of the people in favour of the girl child. On basis of the findings of the research, awareness generation activities were taken up. To complement these activities, efforts were also made for creating networks and linkages with other organizations working on these issues. The project also set out to link low sex ratio with other forms of gender-based violence especially for the surviving girls.
Capacity Building and Sensitization of Stakeholders was done through sensitization workshops, information and education (IEC) material and media campaigns. The programme saw the active participation of Block Level PRI Functionaries, Social Workers and other like-minded individuals who work for welfare and social encouragement of women in the area. Block level trainings of service providers included ASHA Sahayoginis, Angan Wari Workers, ANMs, were organized to provide information on declining sex ratio, female feticide, civil registration and legal enactments. The focus was to discuss the role each category of service providers plays towards the goal of eliminating the illegal practices of sex selection.
50 leaders (from each block) of the youth resource centres of the organization learned about sex selection in the society and the necessity and advantages of the birth registration. College Seminars were organized towards changing the mind-set of youth about gender discrimination and the girl child. The youth were targeted for doing so since boys and girls are still at an impressionable age and their thought process can be influenced.
Women resource groups were formed at the village level to address the gender discrimination and gender-based violence in the communities and orientation meeting of the Women Right’s Group (WRG) members was conducted to orient them about the project as well as build their capacities on issues on gender discrimination and violence, legal provision regarding sex selection and gender-based violence.
District level sensitization workshop was conducted with the goal to orient and sensitize government functionaries from block and district level, doctors, private nursing homes and diagnostic centres (PCPNDT Committee). It is a hope that continuous dialogue and discussions with the block and district level government officials will be instrumental for enforcement of PCPNDT and Civil Registration Act.
