Health

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Dispelling myths and promoting awareness of SRHR for young women through the ‘It’s My Body’ programme

HCLTech Grant Project Title:

All Women

Count! (AWC!): Reinforcing Gender-

sensitive and Inclusive Health Systems

Beneficiaries:

187 Structurally excluded

women and girls, 60 Elected Women

Representatives, 75 Health service providers,

30 CSOs, 5 Medical Colleges

Location:

27 villages in 3 districts of Bihar

example, since talking about sexuality issues

is usually taboo, CREA introduces the idea

of SRHR indirectly in discussions. It has

developed methodologies through which

women can talk about the most personal

or seemingly private matters like domestic

violence or sexual choices in safe spaces.

rough its programmes and partners, all

marginalized women facing abuse are given

a hearing and protection. rough CREA’s

initiatives, girls have advocated for safe

abortion services, gender-based violence

prevention, and access to healthcare; others

are running a pad bank; another has shed the

prejudice against widows life and is learning

to live again, and still another is taking on her

responsibilities as an elected representative

despite family and societal pressure.

CREA disseminates information

about SRHR to young people through

community radio stations, helplines with

IVRs, and many innovative campaigns like

Badhte Kadam Panchayat Ki Ore and 16

Days of Activism in communities in UP,

Bihar, and Jharkhand. The first engaged

with women Panchayat members and SHGs,

and the latter birthed conversations with

over 30,000 women, girls, trans persons,

and PWDs about choices, bodily autonomy,

sexuality and freedom, and building

feminist leadership and movements.