Parents matter: How supportive parenting influences the behaviours of youth, Maharashtra

In India, policies and programs have increasingly recognized the need to actively engage parents in enabling adolescents to make safe and healthy transitions to adulthood. The design of appropriate strategies to engage parents is, however, hampered by the paucity of evidence available. Little is known about the socialization of daughters and sons, the extent to which socialization practices differ for daughters and sons, and the extent to and ways in which parents communicate sensitive matters to their adolescent children. Similarly, research is limited that sheds light on the role of socialization patterns and parental interaction in influencing young people’s schooling outcomes, decision-making ability, self-efficacy, gender-role attitudes, civic participation, or ability to exercise informed and safe choices in sexual and reproductive matters. For the first time, data are available at the state level that shed light on socialization and parent–youth interaction patterns from both the perspectives of young men and women and of parents. This brief describes the relationships reported by youth and parents, and underscores the extent to which socialization patterns and the nature of interaction with parents play a key role in influencing young people’s lives

Transition to marriage and parenthood among youth in Bihar

Delaying the transition to marriage and parenthood among young people has been a policy and program priority for several years in India. Several national-level policies formulated since 2000 have advocated special program attention to delay age at marriage and age at first birth. Despite these commitments, substantial proportions of girls continue to marry in adolescence. As recently as 2005–06, more than two-fifths of women aged 20–24 were married by 18 years nationally. Likewise, over one-fifth of women aged 20–24 had given birth before age 18 and two-fifths before age 20. While the magnitude of early marriage and childbearing has been widely documented, far less is known about the extent to which young people are involved in planning their marriage, how prepared they are for married life, and the nature of their married life. This policy brief documents the magnitude of early marriage and early childbearing in Bihar and sheds light on young people’s involvement in marriage-related planning, preparedness for married life, and the nature of married life

Youth in India: Situation and Needs 2006-2007, executive summary, Maharashtra

This executive summary presents, in brief, findings on the situation of youth in Maharashtra, part of a subnational study undertaken by the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, and the Population Council, New Delhi, as part of a project to collect information on key transitions experienced by youth in India. Transitions include those related to education, workforce participation, sexual activity, marriage, health and civic participation, the magnitude and patterns of young people’s sexual and reproductive practices before, within, and outside of marriage, as well as related knowledge, decision-making, and attitudes. The project was implemented in six states of India, namely, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu

Youth in India: Situation and needs 2006-2007, Maharashtra

The Youth in India: Situation and Needs Study (Youth Study) is the first-ever subnationally representative study conducted to identify key transitions experienced by married and unmarried youth in India. While today’s youth are healthier, more urbanized, and better educated than earlier generations, social and economic vulnerabilities persist. In the course of the transition to adulthood, young people face significant risks related to sexual and reproductive health, and many lack the knowledge and power to make informed sexual and reproductive choices. Several national policies and programs formulated since 2000 have underscored a commitment to addressing the multiple needs of this group in India. Effective implementation, however, has been handicapped by lack of evidence on young people’s situation and needs. The Youth Study, which collected information pertaining to key transitions experienced by youths, was conducted in six states of India: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. This report focuses on findings from the survey conducted in Maharashtra. During the survey, 8,649 young people were contacted, of which a total of 7,570 married and unmarried young women and men were successfully interviewed

How early marriage compromises girls\u27 lives, Maharashtra

The policy and program discourse around early marriage has increased significantly over the last decade in India. For example, several national-level policies formulated since 2000, including the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006, have advocated special program attention to delay age at marriage and to enforce existing laws against child marriage. Also, programmatically several initiatives have been launched to prevent early marriage. Despite these commitments, substantial proportions of girls continue to marry in adolescence. As recently as 2005–06, 47 percent of women aged 20–24 were married by 18 years nationally. While the situation of married young women in India has been increasingly documented, evidence on the ways in which early marriage limits girls’ lives and compromises their reproductive health and choices is limited. This policy brief documents the magnitude of early marriage in Maharashtra and sheds light on the ways in which early marriage compromises young women’s lives and reproductive health and choices. Data are drawn from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs study, a subnationally representative study undertaken for the first time in India of key transitions experienced by young people in six states of India

Factsheet: Youth in India: Situation and needs study—Key indicators, 2006-2007: Bihar

This factsheet provides selected key indicators for the state of Bihar, drawn from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs Study (Youth Study) 2006–07. The main goal of the Youth Study was to provide information on the situation of youth in India and the life choices available to them on a broad range of sexual and reproductive health issues, including both behaviors and their antecedents, through a population-based study. Findings are expected to inform evidence-based programming to address the health and other needs of young people. The subnational Youth Study was undertaken in six states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. Included in this factsheet are indicators on: socio-demographic profiles, young people’s control over their own lives, sexual and reproductive health knowledge, premarital romantic and sexual relationships, self-reported health problems, youth lifestyle, program participation and voting experience, and married life. Sample size and response rate, population and household profile, and percentage of youth in surveyed population are also included

Romance and sex before marriage among young women and men in Maharashtra

Premarital partnerships among youth are widely discouraged in India. Indeed, there is a widespread perception that youth do not find opportunities to mix and form romantic relationships, and that premarital sex is negligible. These kinds of perceptions are often cited to argue against the provision of sexuality or family life education and sexual and reproductive health services to unmarried young people. While several small studies have noted that sizable proportions of young people, particularly young men, are sexually active before marriage, the lack of rigorous evidence on the levels and patterns of intimate partnerships among youth continues to hamper the design of appropriate policies and programs to address young people’s sexual health needs. This brief presents data drawn from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs study, undertaken to assess key transitions experienced by young people in six states of India. Findings indicate that opportunities to form premarital romantic relationships did exist for young people, that young men and women entered premarital relationships with differing expectations, that premarital sex was by and large unsafe, and that experiences were nonconsensual for substantial minorities of young people, particularly young women

Factsheet: Youth in India: Situation and needs—Key indicators, 2006-2007: Andhra Pradesh

This factsheet provides selected key indicators for the state of Andhra Pradesh, drawn from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs Study (Youth Study) 2006–07. The main goal of the Youth Study was to provide information on the situation of youth in India and the life choices available to them on a broad range of sexual and reproductive health issues, including both behaviors and their antecedents, through a population-based study. Findings are expected to inform evidence-based programming to address the health and other needs of young people. The subnational Youth Study was undertaken in six states: Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu. Included in this factsheet are indicators on: socio-demographic profiles, young people’s control over their own lives, sexual and reproductive health knowledge, premarital romantic and sexual relationships, self-reported health problems, youth lifestyle, program participation and voting experience, and married life. Sample size and response rate, population and household profile, and percentage of youth in surveyed population are also included

Young people\u27s participation in civil society and political life in Maharashtra

Youth participation in civil society and political life is increasingly recognized as an important development objective. The opportunities for participation that young people experience in their communities may influence their development and the types of transitions they make to adulthood. Moreover, behaviors and attitudes relating to community participation that individuals adopt as young people predict lifelong civic affiliations and perspectives. In India, the National Youth Policy 2003 has underscored the role of India’s youth in political decision-making, and has argued for greater representation of youth in appropriate bodies as well as more extensive youth participation in program design and implementation. There is a recognition that today’s youth, who have better access to skills and information than those of earlier generations, can play an important role in influencing political processes and the socioeconomic development of the country. However, evidence that sheds light on the extent to which youth participate in civil society and political life remains limited in India. This policy brief documents the participation of youth in Maharashtra in civil society, the extent to which they uphold secular attitudes, and their perceptions about and participation in political processes in Maharashtra

Sexuality education for youth in Maharashtra: Yes or no?

Serious reservations have been expressed in Maharashtra about the sexuality component of programs intended to build awareness of safe and healthy behaviors for school-going youth. This policy brief answers: Is there a need for sexuality education in school and out-of-school in Maharashtra? Are the concerns expressed supported by evidence? Evidence was obtained from the Youth in India: Situation and Needs study conducted in Maharashtra, which explored young people’s awareness of sexual and reproductive matters, sexual experiences of youth, parent–child communication on sexual and reproductive matters, and experience and acceptability of sexuality education programs. Parents were asked whether they had discussed sexual and reproductive matters with their children and the obstacles faced in doing so. Findings suggest that many of the arguments made against the provision of sexuality education in school and nonschool settings are not backed by evidence. Youth do have considerable opportunities for social mixing and developing romantic relationships; many are sexually active before marriage, and relations tend to be uninformed and unsafe. These findings establish a strong argument in favor of provision of sexuality education for those in and out of school