Abstract
ABSTRACT Gender inequality poses grave consequences for young women’s health and wellbeing. The aim of this study was to understand how gender influences the lives of young women living in urban slums of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India using story circles as a research methodology. Narrative-based participatory methods like story circles (which involves sharing individual stories in a group circle on a given topic) can provide the nuance and detail needed to understand young people’s experiences, build trust between participants and researchers, and offer spaces to speak about culturally sensitive subjects. Six story circle sessions were conducted with 50 young women (aged 15–24) in Lucknow. Sessions were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. Transcriptions were analysed to identify the following salient themes, all of which act as mechanisms of gender inequality: mobility restrictions, rampant sexual harassment in the community, limited educational and work opportunities, and the utmost prioritization of marriage for young women.
Highlights
Reducing gender inequality is a global health and development priority (United Nations General Assembly, 2015; World Health Organization, 2013)
This research was conducted as part of a parent study, Kissa Kahani, which used a variety of narrativebased methods to explore the role of gender in the lives of adolescents in Uttar Pradesh, India and its relationship to sexual and reproductive health
Six story circle sessions were conducted in February 2016 with 50 young women, resulting in 50 stories and six discussion sessions
Summary
Reducing gender inequality is a global health and development priority (United Nations General Assembly, 2015; World Health Organization, 2013). Gender inequality affects human health and wellbeing and has severe consequences for women and girls (Osmani & Sen, 2003; Sengupta, 2016; Sinha, McRoy, Berkman, & Sutherland, 2017). Systemic indicators of inequality include disparities in levels of education, economic participation, and poverty; social indicators of inequality include restrictive gender norms and gender-based violence. These systemic and social factors intersect to cause adverse health outcomes and inequalities for women. In India, where girls and women significantly trail boys and men on indicators of inequality, transforming norms and systems that reinforce gender disparities is crucial for achieving development and community health goals. Studying how gender influences the lives of adolescents can provide information about how gender inequalities are fostered and perpetuated, and provide insights into areas for intervention
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