Evaluation of a community-based intervention for health and economic empowerment of marginalized women in India
(2020) In BMC Public Health 20(1).- Abstract
Background: Empowered women have improved decision-making capacity and can demand equal access to health services. Community-based interventions based on building women’s groups for awareness generation on maternal and child health (MCH) are the best and cost-effective approaches in improving their access to health services. The present study evaluated a community-based intervention aimed at improving marginalized women’s awareness and utilization of MCH services, and access to livelihood and savings using the peer-led approach from two districts of India. Methods: We used peer educators as mediators of knowledge transfer among women and for creating a supportive environment at the household and community levels. The intervention was... (More)
Background: Empowered women have improved decision-making capacity and can demand equal access to health services. Community-based interventions based on building women’s groups for awareness generation on maternal and child health (MCH) are the best and cost-effective approaches in improving their access to health services. The present study evaluated a community-based intervention aimed at improving marginalized women’s awareness and utilization of MCH services, and access to livelihood and savings using the peer-led approach from two districts of India. Methods: We used peer educators as mediators of knowledge transfer among women and for creating a supportive environment at the household and community levels. The intervention was implemented in two marginalized districts of Uttar Pradesh, namely Banda and Kaushambi. Two development blocks in each of the two districts were selected randomly, and 24 villages in each of the four blocks were selected based on the high percentage of a marginalized population. The evaluation of the intervention involved a non-experimental, ‘post-test analysis of the project group’ research design, in a mixed-method approach. Data were collected at two points in time, including qualitative interviews at the end line and tracking data of the intervention population (n = 37,324) through an online management information system. Results: Most of the women in Banda (90%) and Kaushambi (85%) attended at least 60% of the education sessions. Around 39% of women in Banda and 35% of women in Kaushambi registered for the livelihood scheme, and 94 and 80% of them had worked under the scheme in these two places, respectively. Women’s awareness about MCH seemed to have increased post-intervention. The money earned after getting work under the livelihood scheme or from daily savings was deposited in the bank account by the women. These savings helped the women investing money at times of need, such as starting their work, in emergencies for the medical treatment of their family members, education of their children, etc. Conclusion: Peer-led model of intervention can be explored to improve the combined health and economic outcomes of marginalized women.
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- author
- Sharma, Shantanu LU ; Mehra, Devika LU ; Akhtar, Faiyaz and Mehra, Sunil
- organization
- publishing date
- 2020
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Employment, Health education, Health services, Implementation science, Maternal health, Poverty, Reproductive health
- in
- BMC Public Health
- volume
- 20
- issue
- 1
- article number
- 1766
- publisher
- BioMed Central (BMC)
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:33228667
- scopus:85096452364
- ISSN
- 1471-2458
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12889-020-09884-y
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- b9d5ac37-c07c-438b-b3da-2218131308dd
- date added to LUP
- 2020-11-30 11:17:58
- date last changed
- 2024-06-27 02:32:42
@article{b9d5ac37-c07c-438b-b3da-2218131308dd,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Empowered women have improved decision-making capacity and can demand equal access to health services. Community-based interventions based on building women’s groups for awareness generation on maternal and child health (MCH) are the best and cost-effective approaches in improving their access to health services. The present study evaluated a community-based intervention aimed at improving marginalized women’s awareness and utilization of MCH services, and access to livelihood and savings using the peer-led approach from two districts of India. Methods: We used peer educators as mediators of knowledge transfer among women and for creating a supportive environment at the household and community levels. The intervention was implemented in two marginalized districts of Uttar Pradesh, namely Banda and Kaushambi. Two development blocks in each of the two districts were selected randomly, and 24 villages in each of the four blocks were selected based on the high percentage of a marginalized population. The evaluation of the intervention involved a non-experimental, ‘post-test analysis of the project group’ research design, in a mixed-method approach. Data were collected at two points in time, including qualitative interviews at the end line and tracking data of the intervention population (n = 37,324) through an online management information system. Results: Most of the women in Banda (90%) and Kaushambi (85%) attended at least 60% of the education sessions. Around 39% of women in Banda and 35% of women in Kaushambi registered for the livelihood scheme, and 94 and 80% of them had worked under the scheme in these two places, respectively. Women’s awareness about MCH seemed to have increased post-intervention. The money earned after getting work under the livelihood scheme or from daily savings was deposited in the bank account by the women. These savings helped the women investing money at times of need, such as starting their work, in emergencies for the medical treatment of their family members, education of their children, etc. Conclusion: Peer-led model of intervention can be explored to improve the combined health and economic outcomes of marginalized women.</p>}},
author = {{Sharma, Shantanu and Mehra, Devika and Akhtar, Faiyaz and Mehra, Sunil}},
issn = {{1471-2458}},
keywords = {{Employment; Health education; Health services; Implementation science; Maternal health; Poverty; Reproductive health}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
series = {{BMC Public Health}},
title = {{Evaluation of a community-based intervention for health and economic empowerment of marginalized women in India}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-09884-y}},
doi = {{10.1186/s12889-020-09884-y}},
volume = {{20}},
year = {{2020}},
}