The lockdowns, social and administrative restrictions, and added stressors related to household issues and economic instabilities have been suggested to have a direct impact on the increase in the incidences of violence against women. With the decrease in the access to information and services to SRH, the situation was aggravated as it disarmed women to take charge of their rights. With this backdrop, a research study was conducted to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young women’s access to information and services related to SRH. Further, in addition to understanding this impact, it was important to examine the gender context - gender norms, expectations, impact on the ability to seek care as a result of gender dynamics as this would enable the strengthening of the SRH-focused intervention. This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding and generate evidence of the gender norms that prevail in the communities’ and their impact on young women’s ability to fulfill SRH needs, gaps in their perspectives, and the support required to mitigate those gaps. Ipas Development Foundation (IDF) carried out a cross-sectional study to assess the ground reality of SRH Services for young women and Girls in India, during the COVID pandemic in IDF’s youth-focused intervention areas in three states including, Goalpara and Nagaon districts in Assam, Chhatarpur and Satna districts in Madhya Pradesh, and West Singhbhum district in Jharkhand. As an extension to that study, this research explored key questions about gender norms and the context within which young women and men operate. A qualitative study design was adopted to gather open-ended responses through in-depth interview (IDI) techniques. Most critically, in-depth interviews offered a view into anecdotal evidence surrounding SRH and the disruption of access to its services and information during the pandemic.

Study on gender equity as an extension of the impact of COVID-19 study in three states of India. Ipas Development Foundation. 2021.