April 19, 2021

Adolescent girls subject to increased household chores, gender-based violence, and pressure to get married

Gender: A study conducted by 25 girls in seven different cities found that adolescent girls faced increased pressure to get married, spent longer hours on household chores, were unable to continue their education online, and reported an increase in gender-based violence. 

Conducted by EMpower, a global philanthropy focused on at-risk youth in emerging markets, the study titled ‘COVID In Her Voice: A Girl-led and Centred Participatory Research Study’ was undertaken by girls aged 13-24 years from Ahmedabad, Alwar, Bareilly, Delhi, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Pune.  The girls were trained as researchers to conduct interviews, and they surveyed a total of 153 girls from their respective communities.

Nearly 80 percent of the respondents reported an increase in household chores, 64 percent of girls and young women felt they did not have the space or the time to study online, and about 28 percent didn’t have access to mobile phones or the internet for online classes.

Nearly 42 percent of the girls also said that the pressure on them to get married had increased. Almost 90 percent of the girls reported experiencing mental distress and despair, and said that they had no access to information about coping mechanisms. The mental distress was made worse because they were unable to communicate with friends and teachers during the pandemic.

26 percent of respondents believe there was an increase in gender-based violence, and felt that fears and threats of violence intensified restrictions on their freedom.

Seven girl leaders suggested the following recommendations at the end of the research: establish girl-friendly spaces such as skills training centres and violence-free spaces within the community; ensure well-maintained, safe, and free toilets in close proximity to communities; and set up digital hubs in the community with charging stations and WiFi access, especially in smaller cities.

Read this article to learn how to support survivors of sexual violence in times of crisis.


May 20, 2021

Home Ministry extends validity period of FCRA registration certificates

Fundraising & Communications: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a circular extending the validity of FCRA registration certificates to September 30th, 2021. This applies to all FCRA licences that have expired or will expire between September 29th, 2020 and May 31st, 2021. The decision to extend the deadline has been driven by the exigencies arising from the COVID-19 situation.

FCRA refers to the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010, which permits charitable organisations based in India to raise funds from foreign sources.

The order also clarified that nonprofits that have already opened an account and have the requisite permission to receive foreign aid, can henceforth receive it only in these newly-opened accounts.

The FCRA law was amended in September 2020 to include a clause that mandated that all nonprofits receiving foreign aid must necessarily open an account in State Bank of India’s New Delhi Main Branch. The government had initially set the deadline for this account opening as March 31st, 2021; it later extended it to June 30th, 2021 after several nonprofits argued in court that there had been delays because necessary approvals from MHA had not been received.

Several organisations have not been able to receive foreign funds during the crisis caused by the second wave, and this has impacted their COVID-19 relief efforts. Relaxing the foreign funding rules could significantly help organisations ramp up their operations to help individuals, supply critical healthcare equipment, and respond to communities in rural areas.

Read this article to know how amending the FCRA can have unforeseen implications.


May 20, 2021

Corporate spending on oxygen support and medical equipment now counts as CSR

Philanthropy & CSR: The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has issued a circular that allows corporate spending on health infrastructure for COVID-19 care to qualify as corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure.

This includes setting up medical oxygen generation and storage plants, manufacturing and supply of oxygen concentrators, ventilators, cylinders, and other medical equipment to counter COVID-19.  

The announcement comes at a time when all efforts are being directed towards expediting efforts to support the country’s healthcare infrastructure.

According to the circular, companies can now undertake projects and activities in collaboration with other companies using CSR funds. Additionally, they can contribute to specified research and development projects, as well as publicly funded universities and certain organisations that conduct research in science, technology, engineering, and medicine.

The government had earlier clarified that setting up makeshift hospitals and temporary COVID-19 care facilities would also be considered a CSR activity. Rajesh Verma, the Corporate Affairs Secretary, has requested businesses to consider converting vacant office buildings into COVID-19 facilities to cater to the rapidly increasing caseload.

Read this article to understand why media attention on COVID-19 deaths due to lack of oxygen in big cities has skewed donor priorities.