Anindita Kargupta is the Chief Project Officer working on initiatives for the Adolescent Wellbeing and Success programme at ETASHA, a not-for-profit organisation that has been working to uplift resource-poor, underserved communities through sustained employment and income generation since 2006. Anindita has lived many roles, having been a teacher, a leader, mentor, counsellor, and friend, while working closely with youth, women, and adolescents for many years.
Shikha Aleya (SA): A warm thank you Anindita, so happy to chat with you on Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). Please share your take on aspects of the ecosystem surrounding CSE, and why is it important to dive into this theme?
Anindita Kargupta (AK): At ETASHA, we work with adolescents and young people from low-income and underserved communities. In most cases, their fathers work as daily-wage labourers, auto drivers or vegetable vendors, and their mothers work as domestic help, daily-wage labourers or piece-rate workers. Many of our trainees are first-generation learners with limited exposure to structured guidance, life skills and supportive adult networks. Their realities are shaped by crowded homes, restricted mobility (especially for girls), patchy access to accurate information, and community norms that often reinforce gendered expectations. ETASHA’s programmes focus on building confidence, communication, decision-making, and workplace readiness so that these young people can pursue education, training and sustainable employment.
Within this context, CSE becomes essential for creating safe spaces where young people can learn openly, ask questions without fear, understand their rights, and gain the confidence to make informed decisions about their lives. The ecosystem surrounding ETASHA’s learners –families, schools, peers, local employers and community attitudes – directly influences their safety, choices and opportunities. Misinformation about bodies, relationships, consent and gender roles can limit mobility, increase vulnerability, and reduce participation in education or work. CSE provides factual, age-appropriate and rights-based information that helps young people understand their bodies, challenge harmful norms, and make informed decisions.
CSE also strengthens key competencies that ETASHA already prioritises: communication, assertiveness, negotiation, emotional wellbeing and responsible behaviour. These are not just life skills – they are employability skills that support smoother school-to-work transitions and reduce risks such as harassment, early marriage, and unsafe work environments.
Integrating CSE into ETASHA’s ecosystem therefore reinforces the organisation’s mission by promoting understanding of safer environments, gender-equitable mindsets and confident, informed young people who can participate fully and successfully in education, training and employment.
SA: This lovely video presenting the story of Haseena, one of your ex-trainees, provides an opportunity to reflect on multiple aspects of diversity and inclusion. What have been your learnings and experiences with approaching issues of CSE in the midst of varied socio-cultural contexts?
AK: The story of Haseena is one of the examples of resilience, confidence and positivity.
At ETASHA, our work with adolescents and youth across varied socio-cultural settings has consistently shown that conversations around CSE must be rooted in respect, empathy and contextual understanding.
My experience tells me that on the one hand, topics related to sexuality, gender, and bodily autonomy are often considered sensitive, while on the other hand, young people are eager for clarity and safe spaces. Most of the time they do not have access to correct information. What they need most is accurate information delivered without judgement. Once, I was told by the woman principal of a Government Girls’ Senior Secondary school, “If we teach the students about contraception, it will encourage them to try sex.” When we speak of providing information ‘without judgement’, it does not mean encouraging or approving of any particular behaviour. It means creating a space where young people feel safe to ask questions before they act on misinformation or pressure. A judgement-free environment prevents secrecy, shame and harmful experimentation by ensuring that adolescents receive accurate, age-appropriate information grounded in values of safety, respect and responsibility. Young people make better choices when they understand consequences, boundaries and respect – not when they are kept in the dark.
Accurate and age-appropriate information equips young people to assess their choices clearly and confidently. With this foundation, they are able to make informed decisions that support their safety, wellbeing, and future aspirations, as well as those of others. For example, during classroom sessions, my students showed respect for the sexual needs of people with disabilities, and were similarly accepting when one of their peers spoke about being brought up by a single parent who is part of the Hijra community.
In ETASHA, we approach CSE not as a stand-alone subject but as part of a larger life-skills framework. Working in underserved communities has also taught me that community engagement is essential. Parents and teachers respond positively when CSE is framed around safety, aspirations, and future readiness. Over time, this approach helps overcome hesitation and strengthens trust.
My biggest learning has been that enabling all young people across diverse backgrounds and circumstances to understand their bodies, choices, and rights is a powerful step towards inclusion. It allows them to navigate risks and to pursue their aspirations with confidence and dignity.
SA: ETASHA works with a lot of volunteers. As an important part of the social and development ecosystem, do you feel most volunteers engage with issues of gender and sexuality with ease? What are the kind of attitudes and learnings with respect to CSE that volunteers discuss with you – or perhaps do not discuss with you unless it is brought up for discussion?
AK: The approach to discussing CSE during assignments or engagements depends on the context of each session. For sensitisation workshops led by volunteers, only those with the necessary experience and skills are selected to facilitate discussions appropriately. These skills include sensitive and non-judgmental communication, guiding discussions, encouraging participation, maintaining a safe and respectful environment, and the ability to maintain appropriate boundaries while recognising and responding to signs of distress or risk. Experience working with adolescents or youth, or volunteer experience in initiatives related to gender sensitivity, life skills, or youth development is important. Volunteers need to have comfort and prior experience in addressing topics like menstruation, safety, consent, and relationships, in a factual and age-appropriate manner. All volunteers undergo orientation on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) policy of ETASHA, with emphasis on the importance of respecting the law and adhering to these guidelines during their community visits or while interacting with trainees.
Briefings before each centre or community visit focus on the principles of inclusivity and respect for all participants. After their visits, most of our volunteers report that they gain a deeper understanding of what it means to treat everyone with respect and equality. This feedback suggests that field engagement contributes to building awareness of respectful practices among volunteers and reinforces the organisation’s commitment to creating a safe and inclusive environment.
SA: A last question Anindita, from volunteers at one end, to your recruiting partners at the other. Is there some sort of a ripple effect of conversations on these themes – in the wider ecosystem?
AK: The young people we work with go on to look for jobs in different sectors after being trained in ETASHA. We are fortunate that most of the organisations in these different sectors, that recruit our trainees of all genders, already have strong inclusion practices, and we also ensure that the POSH policy is implemented in their workplaces.
There may be a potential space for conversations around CSE in the broader ecosystem, and as we continue to deepen our partnerships, we remain open to listening and understanding how sectoral partners view related issues. Staying attuned to such intersections will help us strengthen our support to the young people we serve.
