On 8th March, 2021, PRIA, SHLC and Gurugram University(GU) organized an event to celebrate International Women’s Day. The event was held at Harijan Basti, Sector 43, Gurugram, which is also one of the locations where the team works with adolescents on health issues.
Since the predominant population of Harijan Basti comprises of women domestic workers, the event was structured around the theme of safety and violence. A study by Martha Farrell Foundation highlighted exploitation of women domestic workers in Gurgaon at the hands of their employers during pandemic. It was observed that the domestic workers around Gurugram were denied their outstanding wages and further discouraged from continuing their work in the households they were previously employed in. In addition to poverty and hunger, the prevailing situation was not seen to be conducive to development of adolescents. While many adolescents dropped out of school owing to inability to afford online education, youth, especially girls in the age group of 10-19 years, became victims of domestic and sexual abuse even within precincts of their homes.
Hence, the theme seemed fitting to discuss issues related to youth from their perspective as well as of their mothers from a primary care-giver perspective. The survey findings, especially the data related to violence and safety, were shared and discussed with community. The exercise enabled the community and target population to identify themselves as ‘co-researchers’ in the process.
Arts-based methods were used to conduct Focus-Group Discussions, based on insights generated from survey data. FGDs enable the researchers to dwell more into the root causes of problems identified through the survey. Teams of two people, comprising the mother and child, were grouped together. They were encouraged to paint incidents related to their everyday life. The discussion around violence was derived from the way they perceived their everyday life.
Since most of the participants chose to paint a portrait of their homes, the discussion began with how the mothers perceived violence within four walls. One of them said “when we leave for work, we are worried if boys from the neighborhood would attempt to get close to our daughters”. Incidents have been reported from the community, where youth have attempted suicide in the event of dysfunctional intimate relationships. Intimate partner violence, violence at the hand of acquaintances and relatives, lack of safety on the roads were among other concerns discussed.
Similar exercises would be conducted in other locations, where the survey was held. FGDs would focus on other aspects of adolescent health like nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, mental health and menstrual hygiene.
Fig. Exploring perspectives of the ‘painters’
Fig. Arts-based methodology for Focus-Group Discussions
Fig. Focus Group Discussions with women domestic workers on adolescent health