Life skill training for adolescent girls in Odisha's Sambalpur

SAMBALPUR:  The district administration in collaboration with Hamara Bachpan Trust has launched a life skill training programme to address age and gender specific challenges faced by girls during adolescence.

The programme has been launched for girls aged between 11 and 17 years. Collector Shubham Saxena said, “We have a sizeable population of adolescent girls in the district. Since adolescence is the most formative phase of their lives, enhancing their life skills at this stage will develop their outlook and help them achieve their professional and personal goals.”

An official said adolescent girls face multiple challenges relating to gender role perception, conflict of emotions, safety issues, bodily changes, curiosity regarding sexuality, menstrual hygiene and reproductive health, choice of career and education aspiration and gender discrimination. 

The training under the initiative will help them make informed decision, build their confidence, and get awareness about gender related violence. It will also improve their health and well-being. 

The district administration has set a target to train 3,000 girls in Sambalpur town, Maneswar and Hirakud blocks in the first phase.

Saxena said, “As soon as schools reopen, the initiative will run in a full-fledged manner and we will enhance the target to 6,000 girls. The beneficiaries will be trained at community settings as well as at educational and training institutes.”

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Ladies Organisation, Bhubaneswar is the knowledge partner of this programme.