Accomplishments
Utilization of the Kishori Shakti Yojana Services by the Adolescent Girls in Urban Slum of Mumbai
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Objectives: Kishori Shakti Yojana, a programme under the Integrated Child Development Scheme aims to improve nutritional status of the girls and empower the adolescent girls through life skills education. The aim of the study was to assess the utilization of the Kishori Shakti Yojana by the adolescent girls and identify reasons for non-participation. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study in urban slum using a systematic random sampling method of households to obtain a sample size of 10% of adolescent girls (11-18 years). Results: The mean age of the 943 adolescent girls interviewed was 14.21 years. Eighty eight percent were currently studying. Around 52% girls were aware about ICDS but only 15% were registered. The ever utilisation of the services by the girls is extremely low at 8%. Reasons for poor utilisation of the services were lack of awareness about the services, community’s perception that the services are not needed by them, and lack of suitable timings. Girls explicitly suggested Saturday and Sunday afternoons as being the most suitable time. Conclusions: The programme strategies should be designed taking into account the rural and urban difference for a succesful implementation. In the urban areas where majority girls are school going the programme could be well implemented by the educational institutes rather than the anganwadi centres.