A team of Spanish Volunteers and the women from the slum community exchanged dishes with each other in the cookery session. Both groups taught, learned to prepare, shared and tasted the recipes from each other’s countries.
Everyone present in the activity was delighted. The aim of the activity was for the women and the Volunteers to come together in more ways than sharing food, since by sharing time and experiences, each group developed bonds of friendship, trust and appreciation for the other.
During the transition from childhood to adulthood, girls first experience menstruation, which can bring about feelings of anxiety and the desire to know about this natural phenomenon. However, they do not get the proper information because it is culturally unacceptable to discuss sex-related issues and due to the lack of female health education programs in schools.
All of them were very excited while they were going through the round of introductions. The girls were hesitant at first because, in their culture, but they later relaxed as the topic was talked about in a open and natural manner.
The session included the following topics:
The menstrual cycle
Preparing for ovulation
Understanding the ovulation cycle
Preparing for the next period.
Afterwards, the girls were very happy and reassured with the information given. We will continue to plan sessions to enhance their understanding of related topics such as pregnancy and reproductive health.
India is failing to end the practice of female child abortions. The latest UN data are that for every thousand boys born in the country, there are only 918 girls. These statistics go against the natural balance, affecting the whole of society and putting the country in an “emergency situation”.
In recent years, the government has tried several measures to avoid selective abortions, such as banning portable ultrasound machines so parents will not find out the sex of the baby, or restrict scans to cases that are medically necessary. Young girls born to families with limited financial means also suffer more neglect, they are taken less to the doctor and they are fed less than their male siblings.
What gives rise to this situation is the widespread view that girls are a burden to the family. This is the mindset that needs to be changed. Parents prefer to have a son because when he marries, his wife will become part of the family, while daughters leave. Also, paying a girl’s dowry can be a significant economic burden.
These factors represent a great obstacle to a change in this trend, but we wish to face this challenge intelligently on the way towards a more equitable society in which girls and boys will have the same worth in the eyes of their parents and a privileged place in their hearts.
Source: elpais.com
