SRHR Centers

We locate SRHR within a framework of rights, dignity, and bodily autonomy. We challenge silence and stigma around adolescent sexuality while strengthening community understanding and access to services. Through research and community leadership, we support young people—especially girls—to make informed and confident choices about their bodies and lives.

The Gotni Centres — named after a local word meaning “saathi / saheli” — were created as spaces of trust, care, and companionship for adolescent girls and young women within their own villages. They emerged from the recognition that many girls grow up with limited information about their bodies and face deep silence and stigma around menstruation, sexuality, and reproduction, with very few safe places to ask questions or seek help.

Located within communities, the centres function as village-based, volunteer-led safe spaces where girls can talk openly about puberty, menstruation, relationships, contraception, and reproductive health without fear of judgement. Over time, these spaces have evolved beyond information hubs into supportive collectives where young women build confidence, understand their rights, and develop a positive relationship with their bodies.

The Gotni Centres are also an example of our gender-transformative approach — they do not only provide services, but actively challenge unequal norms, expand girls’ agency, and create community spaces that value their voices, choices, and leadership.

We currently run 25 Gotni Centres across 25 villages in Salumbar District. Each centre is led by two trained young women volunteers from the community, including young daughters-in-law, who provide accurate SRHR information, maintain basic health supplies, and guide girls towards appropriate services when needed.

Every month, each centre hosts a Girls’ Collective meeting where discussions focus on choice, decision-making, safety, consent, and bodily autonomy. On average, 15–20 girls and young women independently visit each centre every month — not only for supplies, but also for advice, solidarity, and reassurance.

Crucially, the Gotni Centres work closely with government frontline workers — Anganwadi workers, ASHAs, and ANMs — helping to bridge the gap between communities and public health systems and ensuring that girls can access services with dignity and support