Gender Based Violence refers to violent acts that are primarily or exclusively committed against women. The frequency and intensity with which gender based violence is perpetuated in India is no less than the terrorist attacks India is experiencing. It is necessary to assess the prevalence rate in our community, the factors contributing

Background: Adolescent population occupies 1/5th of world’s population and in India 20.9% of the population falls in this age group. Social prohibitions and traditional beliefs blocked the access to get the right kind of information to adolescent girls that led to poor hygiene practices. These practices result in harboring of microorganisms that increase susceptibility to genitourinary infections. Hence this study was conducted to study the menstrual hygiene practices among adolescent girls and in rural Puducherry. Methodology: A community-based descriptive cross sectional study was conducted in rural field practicing area of MGMCRI, Puducherry, from 15th of March 2013 to 31st April 2014 by using semi-structured questionnaire. 528 adolescent girls were included by complete enumeration.

Background: Iron-deficiency anemia is the commonest medical disorder and is a problem of serious public health condition with epidemic proportions especially among poor adolescent girls (65-90%). Objectives: To determine the prevalence and determinants of anemia among adolescent girls living in urban slums of Warangal city, Telangana state, India. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a setting of urban slums of Warangal city, Telangana state, India, during the period July 2014 to February 2015. A total of four urban slums were included in the study. Within each selected urban slum, 100 adolescent girls were studied. The relevant information was collected with anthropometric measurements and hemoglobin estimation.

India is a fast-growing economy and the scientific and technical advancements in the county have tremendously improved. But when we look at the state of women in our country, we are very backward and women are subjected to severe gender discriminations. This is evident from our falling sex ratio, gender gap in education, employment, health status and the high rates of violence against women. There are many reasons for this unfortunate status of women in our country. Our social norms, cultural beliefs and the patriarchal mindset have made women vulnerable and deprived of freedom and wellbeing.

Breastfeeding is one of the best and safest infant feeding methods. It has nutritional, immunological, behavioral and economy benefits and also provide desirable mother and infant bonding.1 Despite the numerous benefits of the breast feeding, its prevalence and duration in many developing countries is still lower than the international recommendation of exclusive breastfeeding for the 1st six months of life. The objective of the study was to determine the awareness and practices of caregivers of young children regarding breastfeeding.

Introduction: Assessment of utilization of healthcare services and associated factors in a community provides essential information for improving service delivery to achieve universal health coverage. Objectives: To estimate the proportion of utilization of healthcare services for childhood illness among mothers of under-five children and to assess the factors associated with the utilization of healthcare services among mothers of under-five children. Materials and methods: A community based cross sectional study was conducted in an urban area in Bangalore, among 120 mothers of under-five children selected using Systematic Random Sampling Technique using pretested questionnaire based on Andersen model (predisposing and enabling factors). Method of Analysis: Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and suitable tests of significance using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) software. Results: The mean age of mothers studied was 25.4 ± 3.5 years. Out of 120, 79 (65.8%) mothers utilized healthcare services for childhood illness. 49 (40.8%) children had respiratory tract infection, 42 (35%) had an episode of fever and 29 (24.2%) had diarrhea in the last one month. A statistically significant association was found between utilization of healthcare services and literacy of mothers (p< 0.0001), their socioeconomic status (p0.0128) and type of family (p-0.0007). Conclusion: Mothers’ educational status, socioeconomic status and type of family influence the utilization of healthcare services for common childhood illness.

The total literacy rate of Karnataka is increased 8.96% from 66.64% in 2001 to 75.60% in 2011, whereas male literacy grew 6.75% from 76.10% to 82.85%, contrary female literacy rate, rose 11.23% from 56.90% to 68.13% in the same period. This indicates that female literacy rate has improved from last decade in the state compared to total and male literacy rate. Therefore the present investigation aims at analyzing the growth of female literacy rate and gender difference of literacy rate in Karnataka state based on secondary data. Gender differential literacy index is used to find gender differential literacy index. Choropleth technique is used for mapping. The study found out that almost the entire northern districts have high growth of female literacy rate and high gender differential index respectively.

In India, menstruation and menstrual practices are clouded by taboos and socio-cultural restrictions for women as well as among adolescent girls. There is a substantial lacuna in the knowledge about menstruation among adolescent girls. Most of the adolescent girls have incomplete and inaccurate information about the menstrual physiology and hygiene. Good hygienic practices such as the use of sanitary pads and adequate washing of the genital area are essential during menstruation.1 Anecdotal evidence suggest that lack of access to menstrual hygiene (which includes sanitary napkins, toilets in schools, availability of water, privacy and safe disposal) could constrain school attendance and possibly contribute to local infections during this period.2 With this background, an attempt is made to study menstrual hygiene practices among high school girls.

Background and Objectives: Antarctica is a frozen, coldest, windiest, and driest place on earth with the highest average altitude. With photoperiods lasting six months it is one of the scenic wilds. In addition, it is the area of the planet which is preserved and turned as a natural laboratory.Unique traits of Antarctica have been dedicated to science and peace, a distinctive natural laboratory for research on the psychosocial adaptation of human beings to extremely severe circumstances. Antarctica with its unique and independent history gives rise to a very peculiar set of issues related to gender and feminist inquiry. In the 1960s, in other areas of science, women joined space missions and served on deep-sea submarine crews-conditions every bit as intimate and challenging as those in the Antarctic. Exploration was aimed to methodically link and shed light on gender roles, issues and norms of the world and how they are reciprocated and interpreted by women in lieu of their status in a universal continent governed by many nations but with no indigenous population.

Surrogacy is an arrangement in which a woman carries and delivers a child for another couple or a person. It is also considered as the ‘womb for the rent’. It is not only a medical issue but also a social, cultural, economic, emotional issue. To understand the factors that are influenced by the social issues such as acceptance of practice of surrogacy by Mysurians a study was conducted. The technique of pre-test, model intervention and post test was adopted to assess the influence of social factors. Descriptive and diagnostic research design was adopted along with interview schedule as a tool to elicit data from the 60 respondents with different educational background. Data was collected at three stages: pre-test, intervention and post-test. For statistical analysis of collected data Contingency Co-efficient and Chi- Square tests were adopted by using SPSS Package. Study reveals that majority of the respondents were unaware of the concept of the surrogacy due to lack of knowledge influenced by cultural factors, with intervention through education the level of positive response towards to the issue seemed to be improved and in the posttest, reaction about the acceptance of the surrogacy socially found less, but slight improvement in positive response could bale to noticed among educated respondents. Thus, surrogacy and its practice were not accepted socially by the Mysurians.

The present article speaks about the mother’s knowledge on the challenges faced by the secondary school students, their existing knowledge regarding school counselling services, parents’ expectation from the school and the opinion of mothers with regard to school counselling services in Bangaluru City. Counselling as a profession is definitely a child of the western countries. The Indian society with its strong family bonds and a warm community feeling and spiritual essence has been providing the shock absorbers in times of crisis and a support system to deal with the various psycho social issues. Perhaps; this is one reason for the slow growth of the profession of counselling in India. Secondary School students are faced with many problems, including psychological, social, vocational and education almost of which they are unable to solve on their own. They therefore need assistance in handling these problems. Guidance and counselling programme if well implemented can assist adolescents in problem solving. This article made an effort to know the opinion of mothers of students studying in 8th to 10th standard in two schools with regard to school counselling services in Bangaluru, Karnataka.

Back ground: Access to safe birthing and quality care is the right of every woman and is the responsibility of the welfare state. Adoption of WHO-recommended evidence-based practices in obstetric care is a key component of quality care making services more humane and comfortable to women. This study was designed to assess the implementation status and challenges in adoption of evidence-based practices in health facilities in Tamil Nadu, a state which fairs well in maternal health indicators. Materials and Methods: Quantitative and qualitative methods were adopted. A multi-stage sampling technique was adopted and one block PHC area from each of the three health unit districts in the state was chosen as study sites. Quantitative data was collected by interviews from 664 women, who had vaginal deliveries in health facilities. Qualitative component included interviews with healthcare providers, providing birthing services to women in the study sites. Results: Interviews with health care providers showed that routine use of oxytocic drugs following delivery, use of magnesium sulfate for eclampsia, prophylactic antibiotics to women with prolonged rupture of membranes, prophylactic steroids given prior to preterm birth was adopted in all health facilities. PHCs provided maximum access to birth companions (96%), while the least was tertiary hospitals (4%). Frequent changing of birth companions, their questioning, conversation with others; poor hygiene and lack of privacy were reasons for not permitting birth companions. Adoption of harmful practices like routine episiotomy for the first delivery (95%), routine enema (86.3%), perineal shaving prior to delivery (89%), and women lying in supine position for delivery (85%) was high.

Objectives: The study is aimed to investigate association between stress-related problems, morbidity profile and nutritional status of employed and unemployed females aged 25-40 years. Methodology: It was a cross-sectional study carried out in Mysore city. 66 employed (EW) and 33 unemployed married women (UEW) participated; self-reported questionnaires were used to obtain information such as demographic details, stress level, general health problems (GHP), type and duration of sickness, general health profile (GHQ) and premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC) and skin-fold thickness (SFT)) were also obtained. Results: The results highlighted that household responsibilities did not differ among EW and UEW. UEW enjoyed more recreation time (p<0.0001). Frequency of GHP and intensity of PMS did not differ; however, pattern of morbidity, i.e., type of sickness and their co-occurrences differed significantly (p<0.0001) among the two groups. Regularity of menstrual cycle and cycle duration were essentially similar while the frequency of menstrual problems exhibited significant differences. Heavy bleeding (57%UEW) and dysmenorrhea (77% EW, 68% UEW) were seen in higher frequency. EW experienced anxiety and depression at moderate to severe levels while stress was mild to moderate. The UEW had mild to moderate levels of anxiety and depression while 72% had no stress. Stress, anxiety and depression correlated with GHP, GHQ, PMS and menstrual problems. The correlation was extremely significant for EW. Among UEW, menstrual pain was positively and BMI was negatively correlated to stress, anxiety and depression.

Introduction: Women with disabilities (WWD) face numerous challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive (SRH)-related services. These barriers include sociocultural, political, economic and structural factors, prohibitive costs, lack of availability of appropriate services (and equipment) and attitude of family/health service providers. Objectives: To explore the opinion of WWDs regarding barriers faced in access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services Methodology: 50 WWDs with age 15+ were enlisted from various sources hospitals, colleges, banks, etc. Their in-depth interview was done to gather information regarding sociodemographic details, self-reported symptoms suggestive of gynecological morbidity. Their treatment-seeking behavior and barriers they faced pertaining to SRH care were also explored. Results: Average age of respondents was 29.84 years. Majority (78%) of females had locomotor disability followed by blindness (8%). Many (36%) respondents reported that access was major problem faced when they visited hospitals, e.g., transportation, lack of ramps, inappropriate examination tables, etc. Long waiting hours (22%) and inaccessible toilets (20%) also impede disabled women’s access to reproductive health services. 8% women referred to attitude of healthcare providers as barrier to healthcare. Their verbatim responses reflected a range of such barriers to SRH: “Lift operator did not allow us to use lift and my husband took me through ramp to fourth floor”. “We are not considered part of society. People think we are useless and burden to society”. “Attendants and clerks use abusive language for us”. “I did not go for checkup because nobody gives us priority and I can’t wait for that long. Government should make some special arrangements for us”.

The physical, social and emotional changes that occur during the postpartum period make the mother vulnerable to numerous mental health problemssuch as postpartum blues, postnatal depression, and postpartum psychosis. Postpartum blues have shown spontaneous regression and does not require medical treatment.1 However, the latter two states are more important aspects in maternal mental health. Postnatal depression (PND) is a condition, developing six weeks after childbirth, characterized by a persistent experience of sadness or a diminished ability to experience pleasure, irritability, feelings of low self-esteem and manifest anxiety, and a tendency to brood over the infant’s health and well-being, fatigue, as well as alterations in sleep patterns and appetite

Introduction: In India, majority of the households still use biomass fuel. It is a major cause of death and disability in India. Aims and objectives: To assess determinants of Indoor air pollution and its health hazard awareness among women in semi-urban Mangalore. Methodology: 200 randomly selected households were recruited in two villages of Mangalore. A standard, structured questionnaire was administered after taking informed consent. Descriptive analysis of household area, cooking fuel usage, smoking status was done. Results: Of the participants, mean age was 45.22 with standard deviation of 11.36 years and mean time spent in kitchen in a day was 3.4 hours with standard deviation of 0.80. 64.2% of the houses lack cross ventilation and 72.5% of houses had tiled roofs. 17.9% were using chullah as cooking media and firewood, sawdust as cooking fuel. Regarding hazards of indoor air pollution, over half (50.9%) of women were unaware of it and among those who were aware, only 37.6% knew that indoor air pollution causes respiratory symptoms. Around 57.3% participants replied that their respiratory complaints increased on exposure to smoke. Of those who complain of respiratory symptoms, 49.0% are women. Almost three-fourth (72.5%) houses were tobacco smoke-free. Conclusion: participants’ residence, pattern and fuel use were the probable determinants of exposure to indoor air pollution. Knowledge regarding ill effects of indoor air pollution (IAP) varied among women. The present study is limited to small sample size. Further studies with a large sample size are required to conclude the above findings.

In the present study, the researcher is going to consider the effect of domestic violence on women refugees in third world countries. Domestic violence is a universal phenomenon that persists in all countries and societies of the world, affecting all communities irrespective of race, gender, class, religion, cultural backgrounds or ethnicities. In many countries discriminatory legislations still prevents women full enjoyment of political, civil, economic and social rights. It must mention hardly, the refugee status affects men and women differently. Women, who flee their homes in search of safe place from violence, face such different level of domestic violence in many refugee communities. Therefore there is need to study how the presence or absence of particular legal sanction and proportional policy against domestic violence in such countries can be effective in eliminating of this phenomenon and to prove that community education or better strategies to ensure migrant women at risk on arrival to asylum countries and existence of cultural awareness training for service provider under different NGOs and UNHCR to be needed.

Nature and human race have, always, shared kinship which is reflected in the works of Indian writers and more especially in Indian women writers. It is the environment that fosters human attitudes in the natural writing. Right from the beginning, nature has been the perennial source of life and energy for human race and plant kingdom. In this context Eco psychology studies the relationship between human beings and the natural world through ecological and psychological principles. It is based on the idea that human have an in-built connection to the natural environment. It seeks to help people to explore this connection and restore the bond where it may have been broken. The field seeks to develop and understand ways of expanding the emotional connection between individuals and the natural world, thereby assisting individuals with sustainable lifestyles and remedying alienation from nature

Nature and human race have, always, shared kinship which is reflected in the works of Indian writers and more especially in Indian women writers. It is the environment that fosters human attitudes in the natural writing. Right from the beginning, nature has been the perennial source of life and energy for human race and plant kingdom.

Introduction: As per 2011 census, India is the second most populous country in the world with a population of over 1.21 billion. The population has stabilized in the developed world but India still grapples with the control of fast growing population. Family planning promotion and population stabilization is the priority for the government of India in order to keep pace of socio economic growth. The study was aimed to assess the awareness and practice of contraception among reproductive age group women. Materials and methods: It is a cross-sectional study carried out from May 2015 to July 2015 among 150 reproductive age group (15-45 years) women attendees of urban slum health center of Owaisi Hospital and Research Center. Unmarried, pregnant, post-menopausal women and those who did not give consent were excluded from the study. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 30.35 years (SD 6.98 years). 89.33% of the participants were aware of contraception. For majority (67.91%), source of awareness was from friends and relatives. 59.33% of the participants were using one or the other methods of contraception. The major reason for usage of contraception was completion of family (28.66%) followed by birth spacing (18.66%). Regarding reasons for not using contraceptives 16% women were willing to have more children, 10% women mentioned partner opposition, 8.66% women had no knowledge of contraceptives and 6% women feared side effects in future. Conclusion: The awareness of contraception was 89.33% but only 59.33% were practicing. Tubectomy (21.33%) was the most chosen method of contraception. The awareness regarding tubectomy was higher than spacing methods. The contraceptive use increased with increase in age and parity of the women.

Woman the Prosperity, Women the Slave, Women the Mistress, Women the temptress, but never woman an individual, a person and a human being. She is still fighting for her rights. Our Indian Constitution confers various constitutional rights to women in India. Along with the Indian Constitution various other laws which are in force in India also gives various legal rights like educational right, property right, equal right, and so on. Even after all these rights development of women cannot be made easily, unless the woman succeeds in Education, Economical, Social, Cultural and Psychological development. The purpose of this paper is to identify the provisions laid down in the Indian Constitution and various other Acts in India for the protection of women. This paper is divided into four parts in which First part is consists of various Constitutional Provisions, Second part consists of other legal provisions under various Acts in India, Third part consists of Role of Judiciary in protecting the Rights of Women in India, Fourth part consists of International Convention on protecting rights of women.

Background: The textile industry of Tamil Nadu contributessignificantly to national and state economy. The workforce in these industries mainly employ women who work on an average between 10 and 12 hours in a repetitive, awkward and sustained postures. Objective: To assess the general health status with special reference to musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) among the female textile workers. Identify association between certain sociodemographic and occupational factors with MSD. Materials and Methods: 480 female workers were interviewed from 14 factories in Tamil Nadu using a questionnaire. Questions relating to the objective of this study were selected and analyzed using SPSS. Results: Out of 480 female workers, 58.8% had MSD. Of these, maximum reported pain or weakness of any limb (40.2%) followed by back pain (34.2%). Less than 18% reported joint pain or neck stiffness. Overall 18% workersreported their general health condition to be fair or poor. Association between age (less versus more than 30 years) and education (lower than primary versus higher than secondary) with MSD showed statistical significance. Back pain was found to be significantly associated with sitting jobs (tailoring, embroidery, quality controller, etc.) compared to standing. Conclusions: This study shows that MSD with back pain is common among female textile workers. Reforms have to be brought about in the textile industries on the ergonomic aspects to prevent MSD. Health education sessions have to be conducted to prevent work-related MSD which can have positive economic benefits by increasing their productivity.

Women are highly exposed to the risk of malnutrition, anemia, infectious diseases and illnesses more than men and are less likely to receive timely medical treatment. This is the case of general population, whereas the situation is worse in the case of tribal mothers and the worsening health of mother inherits to child and thereby to generation. Tribal women’s poor health and nutritional status are inextricably bound with social, economic, cultural demographic, ethnic, traditional and environmental factors. The balanced diet obtained from all the food groups is essential for the healthy growth and development of a person. Proper nutrition also includes eating the required amount of food in every day. In the case of tribes in Kerala, they are not able to get two meals a day. The average intake of various food items of 1-3 year children and mothers of various tribal communities in Kerala reveals that except root and tubers, all other food items were lower than the required dietary intake. It is paradox that in a society where a women were revered as Annapurna-the provider of malnourishment with in the household-are also ones who bear the major brunt of malnutrition. Even though the life expectancy of India has increased in the last few decades, level of morbidity is still in a higher position. In the tribal areas, the situation is high prevalence of morbidity and it is same in the tribal hamlets of Kerala. The major objectives proposed for the study were to examine the extent and intensity of nutritional and food security of tribal mothers and children in Kerala and also to examine the dynamics, diversity and dimension of morbidity prevalence among tribal mothers and children in Kerala. In the present study morbidity load and nutritional anemia of the tribes was assessed by conducting a medical camps in different tribal hamlets with the help of allopathic doctors and biomedical experts. The results revealed that morbidity prevalence is very high among tribes in Kerala. They also suffer from severe malnutrition due to poor intake required food with very low calorie and acute shortage of vital vitamin components

Child marriage which was practiced in earlier days is still prevalent in India. It is considered to be one of the heinous practices against young children. Child marriage is defined as the marriage before the children attain 18years of age, which is common for both the genders. Child marriage among children leads to health related problems like complications in early pregnancy, sexual violence and abuse etc. Even though child marriage is prohibited in the country under “The Prohibition of Child marriage Act 2006”, it is been violated. It is widely prevalent in North India but recent studies shows that it is on the increase in South India. It seems that, two out of five girls are married off before they attain 18 years in Karnataka (Child Rights Trust 2010). The Trust in its observatory study reported that the prevalence of child marriage in the Mysuru District, the city of Heritage is about 25.2%. Hence there is a need to understand the causes for child marriage and other precipitating factors for the child marriage among expectant mothers in Mysuru city. For the purpose of the study more than 300 expectant mothers were interviewed who visit for their hospital based check to a Government Hospital, which cater to the needs of mothers from all sections of the society. Accidental sampling method has been adopted to interview the respondents. The results revealed that the causes for child marriages are many, among them one of the main cause is that the people have considered child marriage as a customary ritual and made an obligation for young female children to undergo marriage process in some parts of rural and urban areas in Mysuru city.

Background: Dysmenorrhea is the leading cause of recurrent short-term school absence in adolescent girls and a common problem in women of reproductive age. There are many factors related to this disorder which include a younger age, low body mass index (BMI), smoking, early menarche, and prolonged menstrual flow. Objectives: (1) To find the proportion of dysmenorrhea among girls of a nursing college; (2) To find out the risk factors and impact of dysmenorrhea. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectionalstudy was conducted from November 2011 toApril 2012 at Nursing College, VIMS, Bellary, Karnataka. Data were collected by a pre-tested and pre-designed semi-structured pro forma. The study was performed on a total of 196 students who agreed to participate and present at the time of study. Analysis was done by using Epiinfo version 3.4.3. Results: The average age of the study group was 19.3+1.8 years(range 17–30). Proportion of dysmenorrhea was found to be 77% and was significantly higher in females with positive family history of dysmenorrhea when compared to the others(P<0.05), who had early ageof menarche, irregular cycle, increased amount of flow, gynecological problems and lack exercise had high rate of dysmenorrhea compared to others but statistically it was not significant. In this study, because of dysmenorrhea 20.5% had class absenteeism, 23.2% college absenteeism, 44.4% had poor concentration, 31.8% were depressed, 53% were irritable and 2.6% had suicidal tendencies. Conclusion and Recommendation: Therewas a high proportion ofdysmenorrhea andalsogirls were very much worried about it. There is a need to educate them about causes, treatment and also to cope with stress at the time of menstrual cycle

Adolescence is the time between childhood and adulthood-between the ages of 12 to 18-that is marked by growth and change, and physical and emotional development. The physical and mental changes are predictable, but that does not make this age group any easier to understand and communicate with. Adolescence is a time when a child startsto become his own person, and the separation fromparents begins.As adolescents begin to establish an individual identity, rebelliousness and peerinfluencemay sometimes cause conflicts with parents. Positive adult role models can play an important role as young adults start to make their own decisions. Adolescents are not always aware of potential dangers surrounding them and their newfound individuality and freedom, and parental control and authority is often challenged. Knowing how to set limits and how to keep lines of communication open is crucial for parents at this stage. Adolescence follows a well-known pattern, and part of accepting this is to acknowledge the fact that transition to adulthood is a challenging time for both parents and the adolescent.

Menstruation is a natural process and indicates healthy status of women. But ignorance and unhygienic practices during menstruation can lead to serious health problems. Menstrual hygiene management is a vital step for wider development outcomes in health, education, jobs and wellbeing (59th commission on status of Woman, UN, 2015). A tool kit ‘Menstrual hygiene matters’, developed by WaterAid (2012) discusses various factors which influence menstrual management and these factors include cultural belief, social norms and myths, sanitation facilities, information and education, attitude of family members, community and society, availability of sanitary protection material and disposal facilities (House et. al, 2012). Various researches has been documented that inadequate menstrual protection has impact on the school dropout and irregularities among girls (Scott & et. al, 2013) and again Reproductive Tract Infection (RTI) is 70% higher in case of the women and girls who do not use sanitary napkins (SWaCH

Reproductive health is defined as a state of physical, mental, and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system, at all stages of life. Good reproductive health implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life, the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when, and how often to do so. In this study the researcher focussed on reproductive health issues of women in tribal setting. The objective of the study was to understand the life style and behaviour of tribal women concerning health and to identify the health issues faced by them. A descriptive study was carried out, and survey was done for data collection among tribal women between the age group of 15 and 44 years. It was found that tribal women follow many rituals and traditional practices during their reproductive age. They build a separate shed for women who are in their menstrual period. They are not allowed to mingle with others during their periods. Their personal hygiene during menstrual period is poor. They use cloth for protection during this period and do not have access to pad. Body washing during proper intervals or changing their dress are not seen among these women. The main reasons behind this are the lack of knowledge about the diseases that occur due to unsanitary condition, lower socio-economic status and the inaccessibility to sanitary pads. Infant deaths were common among women who had home delivery system, but most women now preferred hospital delivery which is a positive change

It is an open truth that working women have to face problems just by virtue of their being women. Women have become equal participants in many respects at all levels of society. The future would see more women venturing into areas traditionally dominated by men. This will lead to income generation and greater sense of fulfillment among women. The attitude that considers women fit for certain jobs and not others, those who recruit employees. Women are in vulnerable conditions from ancient society till today, especially in working places. Various social reformers have tried to uplift the social conditions of women. Judiciary has played a vital role for her empowerment. Because of globalization, various sectors of government opened the gate for foreign corporate entities. Thousand of educated women working day and night in those service sectors, due to that the problems of working women’s has taken another shape, they are harassed physically (sexually) and mentally, there fundamental and human rights are in threat. There is no strong and specific legislation for protection of working women and their rights, Hence, the present paper aims is to how the judicial development for the protection of working women rights.

Background: Positive birth outcome is often the result of adequate utilization of recommended antenatal services. Time of first antenatal visit, number of recommended visits and the content of care are the determinants of adequacy of care. National Family Health Survey III reveals a gap between availability of services and utilization of the services by antenatal women in Chennai. Objective: This research was taken up to evaluate the role of focused counseling of antenatal women and their family members on adequate utilization of antenatal services. Materials and Methods: This is a non randomized controlled study carried out in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with 150 women in each of the intervention and control group. Antenatal women registering within 12 weeks of pregnancy were enrolled and followed throughout pregnancy. Women in the intervention group received both focused counseling and routine care given by the health centre, while women in the control group received routine care given by the health centre alone. Observation: The number of women who had all five recommended visits and those who had at least one visit per month in the third trimester was higher in the intervention group. Hemoglobin estimation was done in 66% and 54% of antenatal visits in the intervention and control groups. Urine analysis was done in only 50% of visits in both groups. Mann Whitney U test was done to compare the overall utilization of recommended services during the antenatal visits between the study groups. Utilization of services by the intervention group (Mean rank 162.76) was higher than the control group (Mean rank = 129.35) with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.001).

Sexual harassment is a serious manifestation of sex discrimination at the workplace and a violation of human rights as well as fundamental rights cherished in the Constitution of India. It is yet another form of violence against women reflecting patriarchal mindsets and gender based discrimination that women experiences at work. It is also an expression of power relations, as women are much more likely to be the victims of sexual harassment because of their already existing vulnerability, insecurity, and social conditioning to accept discrimination in silence. A range of initiatives to combat sexual harassment at workplace have been conceived at the national and global levels, including by the International Labour Organization. The Indian Supreme Court in Vishaka case acknowledged Sexual Harassment at the workplace as a human rights violation. Keeping in lieu, the increase in the number of cases of Sexual Harassment faced by women, on 23rd April, 2013, a comprehensive legislation called ‘The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act, 2013’ was finally brought into force, these have inclined to conceptualize sexual harassment as a form of sex discrimination and a manifestation of violence against women. Despite this impressive progress, more work is needed to shift people’s attitudes toward supporting victims and holding perpetrators accountable; there is a strong need to strengthen the Sexual Harassment Act. In this background, the aim of this paper is an attempt to address the issues and challenges relating to sexual harassment and the level of effective implementation of present legislation and also to suggest some remedial measures.

The famous old proverb, “Raising a daughter is like watering a flower in neighbour’s garden” stands very true even in this modern era. The term gender preference or sexual preference is used to describe the desire of biological parents for either a male or female child and-in the extreme-use a range of odious methods (e.g., infanticide and sexselective abortions) to achieve that result. (1) The preference for son and discrimination against the girl child is almost universal in India and manifests in many ways. Although the overall sex ratio in India is improving, the Child Sex Ratio (CSR) is declining by every decade (927 in 2001 to 918 in 2011). In Hyderabad the overall sex ratio is 914 in 2011 which is least among all districts of former Andhra Pradeshand the child sex ratio is 938 which is less than the figures of the state

Devadasi system is the religious sanction given to prostitution of helpless economically and socially deprived women; it is the glorification of humiliation of women. Inherent in this system is the fascistic belief that a certain section of human population, the lower caste, is meant to serve the “higher caste’s superior men”. Inherent in it is the feudal-lordtemple-priest-nexus, where the priest, already having a psychological hold over the minds of simple people to the point of dictating their way of life, uses his power to give “religious sanction” to the practice by declaring it “sacred”, and thus persuades and lures simple-minded villagers into this worst form of prostitution.

The United Nations in its Millennium Summit, 2000, declared “Gender Equality and Women empowerment” as one among the eight “Millennium Development Goals” to be achieved by the year 2015. But how far these goals are being realized in a country like India is a myth. Often women in India are deprived of their fundamental right to dignity; leave alone the question of gender parity. The UN Commission on Status of Women too adopted an agreement, accelerating the progress towards achieving the millennium development goals and confirming their stand-alone goal on gender equality and women’s empowerment in post-2015 goals. The agreement called on the governments to address discriminatory social practices, laws and beliefs that undermine gender equality. This paper explores the question central to women’s rights in India and attempts to study a few challenges faced by women in India like dowry, female feticide, inheritance rights, trafficking, etc.

The life of women is always associated with cleanliness, sanitization and sanctity in and around her. The first person to teach about hygiene and cleanliness is the ‘mother’ (Woman) as the whole world witnesses this. But, now-a-days sanitation and women are getting separated logically as the management of both is turned to be logger head at the two ends. The modern world is concentrating on advancement, development, technological inventions and innovations but, somewhere ethical point of views is lost. Every step towards ultra modern thinking, the contribution of women is being a part of it without fail but, the natural concept which is inseparable and inalienable right to have hygienic environment and all the facilities to be provided for her to maintain the most important Menstrual Hygiene Management is lost and has gone unnoticed ever. Never the late, it is time to bring a revolutionary adaptations of new changes to proclaim and practice the hygienic environment in home and outside as her dignity and rights to be supported with management of proper disposal system for Menstrual Hygienic materials and its management through strict implementations of legal rules for effective control. It is the responsibility of every citizen towards clean Bharat that is towards “Swatch Bharath Abhiyana” upholding Constitutional requirement of India.

Background: Zinc deficiency is widespread and a public health concern. Various studies report high prevalence among children of the school-going age due to relatively high requirement during growth years. Objectives: (i) to find out the prevalence of zinc deficiency and status of zinc among schoolgoing children belonging to low income group; (ii) To assess the effectiveness of nutrition education imparted. Method: Study subjects were selected from two government schools in urban Bengaluru. The subjects selected for this study were boys and girls belonging to the age group of 8-12 years. A pre-structured, pre-designed questionnaire was employed to elicit information on zincrelated knowledge and practice. Zinc status assessment was done using the Bryce-Smith Zinc Taste Test (BS-ZTT) and 24-hour dietary recall. The study protocol was explained to the subjects who satisfied the inclusion criteria and based on their willingness, they were tested for zinc status. Nutrition education intervention was conducted in two stages- pre- and postevaluation. Observations: A majority of the study subjects(32%) belonged to the 10-11 years age group. A significant association (p<0.05) was found between socioeconomic status and prevalence of zinc deficiency. Lower income group children were found to be more zinc-deficient than upper lower-income group. A statistically significant correlation (r=+0.050, p<0.05) existed between the pre- and post-taste test scores which indicates a positive effect of the nutrition education intervention program on the study subjects. Likewise, the zinc taste test was well correlated (r=+0.158, p<0.05) with the dietary zinc intake, and provides a good idea about zinc deficiency.