Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls (SABLA)

Empowerment of adolescent girls has multiple dimensions, and requires a multi-sectoral response. SABLA is a comprehensively conceived scheme which involves inputs from key sectors of health, education and employment, each of which addresses needs fundamental to the holistic growth of an adolescent girl. Its intended beneficiaries are adolescent girls of 11–18 years old under all ICDS projects in selected 200 districts in all states/UTs in the country. Salient features of the Scheme include:

♤ Nutrition provision

♤ Iron and folic acid (IFA) supplementation

♤ Health check-up and referral services

♤ Nutrition & health education (NHE)

♤ Counselling/guidance on family welfare, ARSH, child care practices and home management.

♤ Upgrade home-based skills, life skills and integrate with the national skill development program (NSDP) for vocational skills.

♤ Mainstream out of school adolescent girls into formal/non formal education.

♤ Provide information/guidance about existing public services such as PHC, CHC, post office, bank, police station, etc.

Performance Evaluation of SABLA

Performance of SABLA scheme can be gauged from following findings in a report submitted to Women and Child Development Ministry in 2013-

♤ Sabla has strengthened the recognition of adolescent girls as a group with distinct needs. The scheme’s design and delivery has endeavoured to address their health, social, economic, and psychological needs in a comprehensive manner.

♤ The utilization of funds and delivery of the ration to beneficiaries is occurring on a regular basis. The various activities under the Non- Nutrition component have been implemented with varying extent of success and ease across States. Health Check-ups, delivery of IFA tablets, nutrition and health counselling and ARSH counselling, life-skills education including exposure visits have been taking place more smoothly than activities like school mainstreaming and vocational training

♤ Convergence with the Department of Health has been well implemented and coordination needs to be improved with Education, Youth Affairs, and Labour and Employment sectors.

♤ Not all states have effectively involved NGOs; where they have, such as in Odisha, Karnataka, Rajasthan, the scheme components are working well.

♤ The study found that 100% of the beneficiaries in sample were aware of the ‘nutrition’, ‘counselling’, ‘health check-ups’ and ‘life- skills’ components of the scheme. Among non- beneficiaries interviewed, the level of awareness was high at about 69%. Other stakeholders like Panchayat members, parents, and representatives of community organisations were also aware of the scheme.

♤ Most of the respondents (75%) consume their IFA tablets at home, while only 24.5% consumed them at the AWC.

♤ The study reveals that at least 48% (1612) out-of-school-girls (OOSGs) reported being counselled on joining school.

♤ Around half (44.1%) of the eligible girls in the age-group 15-18 years had received any information about vocational training