A Board Game for Menstrual Hygiene Awareness

Context & Challenge - In rural India, menstrual hygiene is hindered by taboos, lack of awareness, poor sanitation infrastructure, and limited access to affordable products. Almost 88% of girls and women rely on unsafe alternatives like rags, hay, etc, leading to health risks and school or work absenteeism. Traditional communication methods had been tried, but failed to get the message across.

Solution - We conceptualised a life-size game of snakes and ladders was to make the girls more comfortable and raise the issue in a lighter environment. If you want to avoid the snake or use the ladder, you had to draw from a deck f cards and answer a question on menstrual hygiene. The game was augmented with a demonstration of menstrual hygiene products and a sample pack of sanitary napkins.

Impact - The game has seen great results as a conversation starter in group discussions at schools and rural homes, leading to the campaign reaching over 5 million adolescent girls in rural India.