THE BRIEF/

Government of Odisha has launched the ‘KHUSHI’ scheme for distribution of sanitary pads in all the government and government aided schools reaching out to around 17 lakhs girls annually. On behalf of Health & Family Welfare Department Government of Odisha, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) needed to develop promotional audio-visual film and audio message on the Khushi scheme. The basic objective of sensitizing the adolescent girls on menstrual hygiene management and also make them aware about the ‘KHUSHI’ scheme. Further, several resource and communication materials have been developed at different times related to the Khushi such as resource materials for teachers and students, radio jingles, audio-visual animation and major tribal dialects including shortened version of the film. There was a need to collate all the resource and communication materials related to Khushi at one place so that it will be user friendly in rural Odisha.

STRATEGY/

We had a big challenge to face the communication inequalities in tribal and rural regions of Odisha. It was evident that adolescents face huge social biases and have to live with the perceived social taboo during their menstruation cycles. This needed effective communication and dispelling social biases through effective messaging and communication. The young rural girls face avoidance to their natural and genuine  questions related to reproductive health and rights. It adds stress and leads to health consequences for these minors due to the communication inequalities.  We use our expertise in design to put real life stories in to a film that fuel emotion, forge brand culture and generate values in due course of time.