Vatsalya organized a workshop on the critical issue of child marriage, led by Dr. Neelam Singh, Chief Functionary of the organization. The event brought together esteemed representatives from government and civil society to discuss actionable strategies for ending this harmful practice. Chief Guest Ms. Babita Singh, Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Women’s Commission, commended Dr. Neelam Singh’s impactful grassroots work and emphasized the crucial role of Gram Pradhans in linking communities with government welfare schemes. She highlighted illiteracy and poverty as primary drivers of child marriage and stressed the need for better awareness and access to existing programs for girls and their families.
Other distinguished speakers, including Mr. Puneet Mishra (Joint Director, Women and Child Development), Dr. K.K. Gupta (President, Vatsalya), and Dr. Shuchita Chaturvedi (Former Member, SCPCR UP), appreciated the significant progress made by Vatsalya under Dr. Neelam Singh’s leadership. The workshop reaffirmed the collective commitment to safeguarding children’s rights and advancing gender equality through education, awareness, and community participation.

The Red Talks workshop on Menstrual Health and Hygiene Management brought together experts from the State Health Mission, Directorate of Medical, Health & Family Welfare, Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) Lucknow, UNICEF, NHM UP, WASH, and Lucknow Nagar Nigam. The event featured roundtable discussions focused on challenges and solutions in menstrual health, product choices, and sanitary waste management. Key recommendations from these discussions are expected to shape future programmatic interventions. The workshop was graced by Chief Guest Shri Partha Sarthi Sen Sharma, IAS, Principal Secretary, Medical Health, Family Welfare & Education, GoUP, along with dignitaries including Ms. Neha Jain, IAS (MD, UPDESCO), Dr. Uma Singh (Retd. HOD, Gynae, KGMU), and Ms. Ekta Singh, IAS (Additional Project Director, Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan). Shri Sen Sharma emphasised four key points: the importance of male participation in menstrual health discussions, the need for capacity building among Urban Local Bodies, regular monitoring of school toilets for availability and functionality, and the introduction of focused IEC materials on menstruation. He proposed that ASHAs, through campaigns like Dastak Abhiyaan, visit adolescent girls to educate them on menstrual hygiene using concise and culturally relevant IEC materials.