The Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent countrywide lockdown measures have impacted all aspects of our social and economic lives.? It has also had far reaching effects on adolescents and young people across the country.??
Although higher levels of COVID-related mortality and morbidity have been experienced by older generations and those with comorbidities, there is clear evidence that adolescents have faced multiple challenges, fuelled by prolonged school closures and widespread national lockdowns.
School closures, combined with financial stress, heightened vulnerability to age- and gender-based violence and social isolation have placed unprecedented pressure on young people, taking a toll on their physical and mental health.? Furthermore existing inequalities and vulnerabilities have been exacerbated by the pandemic - making the most vulnerable adolescents - such as refugees, adolescents with disabilities, girls at risk for early and forced marriages and tribal and poor adolescents - worst affected.
Access to essential services - including for sexual and reproducitve health (SRH) care - have been disrupted.? The Guttmacher Institute estimates that adolescents will experience a 12% reduction in access to modern contraceptives and adolescents will experience a 25% reduction in access to maternity care due to covid.? Raising concerns around increasing adolescent pregnancies.??
Given the numbers and scale of the crisis in India, the implications of interrupted reproductive healthcare and on mental health have to be critically explored among young people in India.
Constituting almost one-fifth of the country¡¯s population, for over two years,? adolescents faced education uncertainties, restrictions on their mobility, freedom and socialization, an increase in domestic chores and household conflict and anxieties around their employment prospects.? While the pandemic seems to be abating and young people are slowly returning to their pre-pandemic lives, the full ramifications of the lockdown measures will take some time to be understood.? It is critical to recognize the role that young people themselves can play in ensuring that they have access to effective SRHR programmes and services, thereby improving health outcomes.
Global evidence shows the importance that meaningful youth participation has on SRHR.? Highlighting that young people must be engaged in the design and implementation of SRHR programmes. Young people and adolescents are best able to voice their needs, realities and opinions and it is critical that policymakers, development programmes and youth trainers and advocates provide them the platforms and tools to do that.??
By making SRHR an integral part of daily conversations and dialogues and engaging young people with SRHR related topics from the beginning they are able to increase their knowledge.? This knowledge in turn enables young people to make more informed decisions regarding their own sexual health and rights.? When SRHR programmes and policies are relevant to young people¡¯s experiences we are able to greatly enhance the reach, relevance and efficacy of those programmes.
Campaigns such as Baatein Unlocked, which aims to build a youth led movement to enable young populations to realize their full potential by making informed and responsible decisions for their health and wellbeing.? The goal of such a movement is to enable young people to have the interest, agency and capacity to advocate for, demand and access sexual and reproductive health products and services that respond to their needs.
This movement will focus on building youth participation and shared narratives and platforms for meaningful youth engagement.? Baatein Unlocked will unlock and open conversations on diverse issues related to youth and the secual and reproductive health and rights, by creating safe spaces for young people to talk, explore, express and share their experiences and insights on those issues often ¡°hidden or stigmatized¡±.? Thereby breaking barriers and challenging social norms around their SRHR needs and desires.
By creating opportunities for youth leadership and for youth perspectives to be part of the policy and advocacy process we are paving the way for empowering our adolescents and young people and leading to better SRHR outcomes.? By engaging meaningfully with young people especially those that are vulnerable and otherwise disenfranchised we can enhance their confidence and teach them important life skills.??
Research shows that when young people participate as peer educators or youth champions they become more confident, which enables them to talk in meetings and discuss issues around sexuality with their peers and gatekeepers.? Involving young people in development by creating safe spaces for them and listening to them, empowers them, encouraging them to continue to engage thereby setting the stage for youth-centered and youth-led policies and programmes.
About the author: Mandira Kalra Kalaan is the Project Lead for Baatein Unlocked, a movement for youth across Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand. All views/opinions expressed in the article are of the author.