Another important target group is the newly married couples. In the early stages of their married life routines are established, and if they have an understanding of gender issues the marriage can be more equal. Generally newly married couples do not talk much about their private life. SARTHI’s staff motivates them through meetings, camps and training on:

• How to create a gender equal society, and their part in it
• How to do family planning, STDs/RTIs/HIV/AIDS, etc.
• How to guide them properly for a better married life
• How to make them aware about the problems of each other.

For the past three years the program has been provided to all the newly married couples in 60 villages. SARTHI tries to include all the newly weds. In a few years, when most of the young married people will have taken part of this program, the atmosphere for talking about these issues will have changed. The people will be able to talk more freely and discuss with each other. An immediate consequence has been that now the couples have started using simple contraceptives and started demanding of condoms from SARTHI’s health workers. They have good understandings on STDs/RTIs/HIV/AIDS.