GENDER DIFFERENCES IN PROFILE OF STREET-BASED CHILDREN IN THANE, MAHARASHTRA

Rucha Wagh, Rupali Gajare*, Sandhya Khadse, Sundaram Kartikeyan and Srabani Bhattacharya

ABSTRACT

This cross-sectional, comparative study was conducted in the city of Thane in Western Maharashtra to compare the gender differences in profiles of street-based children (both genders, aged between 12 and 18 years) who were staying with their families and were enrolled in a school run by a non-governmental organization. Convenience-based sampling was used due to non-availability of a sampling frame of street children in the study area. The gender differences in mean age (Z=0.667; p=0.498), mean height (Z=0.618; p=0.536) and mean weight (Z=1.322; p=0.815) were not significant. Though all the participants were enrolled in a NGO-run school for street children, only 2 (06.25%) boys and 4 (10.53%) girls attended the school for more than 3 days a week. The gender difference was not significant (Z=0.636, p=0.522) for school attendance, but was highly significant (Z=5.232, p<0.001) for self-reported ability to remember what was taught at school. As compared to boys, a significantly higher number of girls reported a feeling of loneliness (Z=2.639, p=0.0083) and difficulty in communicating (Z=4.845, p<0.0001). A multiple-level intervention strategy ought to focus on rehabilitation of street-based families, social security, establishing more night shelters for providing food, health care and shelter and providing avenues for legal income.

Keywords: Gender, Profile, Street-based children.