49%
of young women in Pakistan have no knowledge of menstruation before their first period.
79%
of Pakistani women don't mange periods hygienically.
Perceptions, Practices, and Challenges Regarding Menstrual Hygiene Among Women in Karachi, Pakistan: A Comparison Between General Population and Healthcare Workers
In Pakistan, talking about menstruation is considered a taboo, and it's rarely discussed openly. This project is our way of initiating a conversation about this topic and addressing its effects, accessibility issues, and related concerns.
Our Research process
Interviews + online Survey Results
We interviewed nine women. and received 25 survey responses
- Women felt ashamed to discuss it openly and often used vague terms.
- Due to low income, women used homemade cloth pads.
- Women had misconceptions about medications and gyneacologists.
- Women rarely talked to their daughters about menstruation, assuming others would inform them.
- Women held myths, like discussing it could trigger a girl's first period.
6. They often used petroleum jelly for rashes, hesitated to see gynecologists, and avoided medication for painful periods
7. Women believed menstrual products should be more affordable and accessible.
“that”
umm...
i get “Them”
Problem
Periods
This
Sickness
Dirty
Red fairy
Affinity Mapping - Research Insights
Willingness to access health facilities: Women often avoid discussing menstruation with healthcare professionals due to generational taboos and myths. This can lead to missed identification of common issues like UTIs, as they typically only seek help after marriage.
Financial instability: Financial instability affects how women manage menstruation. Many use cotton cloth due to its availability and affordability but prefer easily accessible, comfortable, and affordable alternatives.
Menstrual ‘Moaning’: Women tend to avoid discussing menstruation positively. They mostly focus on the pain of menstrual cramps, believing it's something they have to endure due to cultural ideas of patience and past nourishment.
Taboos and Myths: Mothers pass on myths and taboos about menstruation to their daughters, leading to beliefs like avoiding medication for fear of fertility issues. These taboos persist because women tend to avoid discussing menstruation even in private.
Women and young girls from low-income households without formal health education.
Our Stakeholders
Core stakeholders: Women and young girls from low-income households without formal health education.
Direct stakeholders: External entities affecting the menstrual experience, including disposable pad companies, public toilets, waste disposal, sexual partners, pharmaceutical companies, media, local markets, communities, NGOs, families, and local pad companies.
Indirect stakeholders: Those influencing the emotional aspect of menstruation, primarily policymakers and governmental organizations.
Personas
Shamim Aunty.
- 39 years-old mother of four in Karachi.
- Uses old cloth for her periods.
- She learned about menstruation when she was 12 from her mother, who gave her an old cloth.
- She disposes of the soiled cloth in newspapers.
- Shamim hasn't discussed menstruation with her daughters, assuming they will learn from cousins or friends.
- She buys disposable pads for her daughters, despite finding them expensive, as per their request
Rukhsar
- Rukhsar, a 14-year-old maid.
- Was initially panicked when she got her period.
- Her elder sister taught her how to make cloth pads using old or purchased fabric.
- She feels shy buying disposable pads from the market, so her mother or sister writes it on paper for the shopkeeper.
- She hopes to overcome the stigma associated with menstruation and buy pads confidently.
How Might We Statement
How might we provide resources for awareness to underprivileged working women to increase social awareness regarding menstrual heath and the taboos associated with it?
How might we make hygienic and reusable solutions for underprivileged working women and their daughters to provide them affordable and cheap products that will produce less waste?
How might we make a booklet debunking all the myths and taboos for underprivileged working women and their daughters so they can make informed decisions
How might we make sanitary pads more accessible for those who can't afford them so that they can also use hygienic store bought products?
How might we create solutions that will allow women from working classes to rid themselves of cultural taboos?
How might be debunk myth/taboos related to menstruation for uninformed underprivileged women, to try and educated them on the subject
How might we make an informational video about infections and rashes due to unhygienic conditions for underprivileged working women and their daughters so they can make informed decisions
How might we create awareness about proper menstrual hygiene for women who have succumbed to taboo culture so that more of them are better able to appropriately watch over their health?
HHow might we make sanitization more accessible for underprivileged women from lower classes to better their practice of menstrual hygiene?
We created an interactive Snakes and Ladders board game because it empowers women to have conversations about what is considered a taboo.
The prototyping stage.
Step 1
Prototype 1
Prototype 2
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Cards
The final game design.
The Manual
The Board Game
A final word.
In our design process, we've learned that everything we include should serve a purpose related to our research question. Our plan involves working with specific NGOs to promote education and awareness for women. We want to create a safe space for women to discuss menstruation, which includes integrating the game into school programs, providing it to women and girls, and eventually establishing a non-profit focused on women's health and rights.