How can design for well-being lower the taboo of menstruation in India

Abstract

In India, there is an existing taboo of menstruation which has an impact on the well-being of women in different ways - from education, economics, health, religion to different personal aspects. Many activities are happening in India towards improving the situation around menstruation - from governmental activities and plans, provision of sanitary pads in the rural areas, organization of educational sessions in schools, to famous actors using media to spread awareness on these issues. However, there is a need to create a change in the mindset and the behaviour of society to accept the made efforts.

This graduation project is an extension of an elective course of Design for Emerging Markets in the winter semester of 2018 at TU Delft. The field research of this graduation project was conducted in India in order to get closer to the problem and get emerged into the context. The field research included interviews with different experts in the field to understand how this problem has been approached from different angles.

As the topic of menstruation is a sensitive one in India, one must work from a comfortable and safe space of people to create a change, and this lead to the family context. The tests were conducted with 9 families to understand what is the behaviour people have in their homes and how does the conversation go around this topic.

Research brought to a conclusion how pre-menstruating girls are not informed on the subject until they get their first period, which causes them to experience shock, fear and anxiety when they start menstruating. Men are often excluded in the discussion around menstruation, and in the family, the discussion is often occurring between the girl and her mother.

Through research a correlation was found between the positive attitude in girls towards menstruation and their freedom of conversation on menstruation with both parents.
That is why this project has focused on enabling discussion in a family home between all members prior to the girl’s first menstruation.

Even though the problem around menstruation in India is a complex one, enabling discussion can be that one step towards the desired behaviour change to enhance the well-being of the girl.

Gamification came as a solution as it can bring all family members together through an engaging and fun activity. Creating an engaging activity can help in subtly bringing to the surface the otherwise stigmatized topic, and the fun aspect of the game helps in creating a positive atmosphere which makes the discussion more enjoyable.

After testing 4 different designs, the outcome design is a pairing type of card game, Mix-A-Body-Match. As the entire aim is to create funny pairs, the game doesn’t require prior knowledge on the subject, which allows both the pre-menstruating girl and male members of the family to get involved into the game-playing with ease. The game comes with a booklet that contains the rules to the game and explains the content on the cards. The booklet also provides information on puberty and menstruation for the family to learn more. The game intents to normalize menstruation by presenting it as a part of puberty and a normal aspect of growing up. It serves as an ice-breaker. The game creates a positive atmosphere in the home through laughter, and in that way creates the way for the discussion to appear.