PROJECT
Small-grants Program to Expand the Evidence Base on Reproductive Health
While evidence on aspects of sexual and reproductive health in India is generally sparse, there is a particular dearth of evidence from such states as Bihar and Jharkhand, which lag behind the nation socially and economically. We can infer that sexual and reproductive health and the ability to exercise informed choice may be compromised among adults and youth in these states, however, the lack of research that has taken place there poses an obvious challenge to evidence-based sexual and reproductive health programming. Solid research is needed that will explore the sexual and reproductive health situations of women and men in Bihar and Jharkhand so that researchers can identify obstacles to reproductive health services at the individual, community, and health-sector levels and make evidence-based recommendations for programming. In many ways, given the sensitive and pioneering nature of such investigations, small, in-depth case studies are likely the most appropriate way of building a body of evidence on these issues.
The goal of this project is to provide small research grants to individuals or organizations that will enable them to undertake high-quality research that enhances the understanding of the sexual and reproductive health situation and needs of youth and adults in Bihar and Jharkhand and enables the creation of evidence-based programming in the future.
As a small-grants program, the project was initiated with a call for research submissions from interested researchers located anywhere in India. An advisory group made the final selections in 2004, and the Population Council has since provided capacity-building and technical support to researchers.
Present status
This project and the request for concept papers were widely announced, and a total of some 50 concept papers were received, of which 11 were short-listed and developed into full proposals. Five projects were then approved by the advisory group—four in Jharkhand and one in Bihar. They include studies of married adolescent girls; migrant youth; pregnancy-related care-seeking and practices; abortion-related care-seeking and obstacles to use of public health facilities; and sexual health issues among school- or college-going youth in Patna.
Council staff members have made significant efforts toward building the capacity of researchers and have provided extensive and ongoing technical support, including assisting researchers in the design and development of research tools and sampling strategies, training field teams, and addressing problems arising during field work.
The project is not without challenges, however. The unstable political climate in both states and frequent strikes and elections have resulted in delays in gathering data. In addition, the sensitive and pioneering nature of the work has been a source of discomfort among study respondents, particularly in the case of investigations of the sexual behavior of youth.
Location
Bihar and Jharkhand states
Duration
June 2003–June 2006
Population Council researchers
Shireen Jejeebhoy, Shveta Kalyanwala, K.G. Santhya
Donors
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
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