Name of Position: Research Officer
Number of Positions: 2
Remuneration: Rs 30000 per month (negotiable based on experience)
Duration: One year contract
About the Project: Action Research on Child Brides in Udaipur District, Rajasthan (Vikalp Sansthan and TISS)
Number of Positions: 2
Remuneration: Rs 30000 per month (negotiable based on experience)
Duration: One year contract
About the Project: Action Research on Child Brides in Udaipur District, Rajasthan (Vikalp Sansthan and TISS)
India has 21 percent adolescent (10-19 years of age) population. While adolescence itself is a stage
of transition in one’s life with various challenges, child marriage i.e. marriage before the legal age
of 18 for girls and 21 years for boys is a social practice in some parts of India that doubles the
biological, physical, psychological and social challenges for this group. In India, 47% women aged
21-24 years said to have been married before 18 years (NFHS-III, 2005-06). This proportion is 32
% for men aged 25-29 years who got married before 21 years of age. With the gender bias towards
girls, early marriage of girls is higher in some states like Rajasthan (58%) and the practice is more
prevalent in rural than urban areas. While there is no systematic evidence, Vikalp Sansthan, based
on its decade long field work with adolescents in Rajasthan has experienced that there is difference
in the life experiences of those brides who are young and staying in marital homes than those who
are relatively older in age. Vikalp observed that the former are more vulnerable to various forms of
violence in their marital homes compared to the latter but any engagement for their empowerment
by external agency is equally difficult for both groups staying in marital homes than those staying
with their own parents. To ensure that there is effective interventions done to address the issue of
child brides, Vikalp Sansthan and TISS have developed an action research to be intiated for a year
in select villages of Udaipur district in Rajasthan. The research proposes to conduct an ongoing
analysis of interventions by Vikalp Sansthan, deepen existing strategies and suggest new ways to
address the issues of child brides, violence and agency of the women who have been child brides.
The two positions of Research Officers will be located in Udaipur at Vikalp Sansthan office and
they will be supervised by the Faculty team at School of Social Work, TISS.
The Research Officer will be responsible to lead the research work in assigned villages of Udaipur
district with TISS and Vikalp team. Some of the tasks expected will be:
- Desk review of available literature
- Supervision and participation in data collection at district and village level
- Participating in training and monitoring of field level workers