About us

IHMP's Current Projects

1. Empowering Adolescent Girls and Preventing Child Marriage through Life Skills Education:

Everyday around 15,600 girls get married in India at a median age of 15 years. IHMP is empowering unmarried adolescent girls through life skills education in villages and urban slums of Maharashtra. IHMP aims to make these girls more self-confident and assertive and support them to develop the ability to negotiate a delay in age at marriage, and continue with their education. The Institute’s community-based teachers conduct biweekly classes in their villages and slums. The girls learn about sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, personal hygiene and first aid and sex discrimination and how to deal with it, laws and policies related to adolescent girls and women, practical skills in communication, decision making and negotiation.

2. Sexual and Reproductive Health Programme for Married Adolescent Girls:

Mothers under 15 years of age are 5 times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth and have an increased risk of miscarriage and complications during pregnancy. They give birth to low birth-weight babies and experience higher neonatal and infant morbidity and mortality. IHMP’s sexual and reproductive health programme for married adolescent girls in villages and urban slums of Maharashtra aims to delay early conception, increase the interval between births, improve access to health services and protect these girls from complications during pregnancy.

3. Gender Sensitisation of Boys and Young Men:

Teenage girls are married off to men who are much older than them. A large number of girls experience molestation and sexual and domestic violence. IHMP provides group and individual counselling to boys and young men. The project aims to bring about a positive attitudinal change in boys and young men and a measurable reduction in the prevalence of sexual and domestic violence and gender inequitable behaviour.