Qualitative Assessment of Life Skill Development of Adolescent Girls through Kishori Panchayat: An Adolescents for Health Action Model in Selected Villages of Rural Central India

BACKGROUND: The “Adolescents for Health Action model,” Kishori Panchayat (KP) is an innovative approach for mobilizing and empowering adolescent girls by enhancing their life skills by participating in various community health activities, a platform for interaction with peer-groups, villagers, community leaders, and health-care providers. AIM: The aim of the study is to follow-up the quantitative data regarding the effectiveness of KP in enhancing life skill education among adolescent girls who are members of KP compared to Non-KP girls. OBJECTIVES: The main objectives are: (1) to study the knowledge and perceptions regarding life skills among adolescent girls (12–18 years) of KP and non-KP and (2) to identify features of KP and related contextual factors that contributed to the outcome. METHODOLOGY: The qualitative study was carried out among 100 KP girls and non-KP girls, respectively (12–18 years), under 20 villages of rural Wardha district over 1-year period after obtaining consent in writing from participants and Institutional Ethics Committee. Focus group discussion was conducted in each village. Key informant interviews of social workers of KPs and school teachers conducted until data saturation. RESULTS: Findings suggest that KP girls had more knowledge and perception regarding life skills and their application compared to non-KP girls. Life skill education program by KP was found to be received positively by adolescent girls. CONCLUSION: Institutionalization of this can help in building a sustainable model for empowerment of adolescent girls.