Empowering girls to take control of their periods during the pandemic

Menstruation Matters

To help adolescent girls take control of their periods and their lives in fun and engaging ways, UNICEF introduced Oky, a period tracker application for mobile phones. With Oky, adolescent girls can track how their period affects their body and mood so they can better understand their own body. Oky personalizes predictions so adolescent girls can plan ahead and learn the facts with reliable information and tips to stay healthy and happy.

With support from Kimberly-Clark Softex, UNICEF worked with NGO partners SNV, GIZ Fit for Schools, Lemina and Unimuda to initiate a series of activities to promote the Oky app among women and girls in Papua. As part of this initiative, UNICEF partnered with Jeni Karay, a well-known Papuan influencer who uses social media to educate young people and the wider community about social issues.

For Jeni, the topic of menstruation is deeply personal. She remembers when she had her first period and how cultural taboos made it impossible for her seek support.

“I was in Junior Secondary School at the time, and I couldn’t talk about it with my parents,” she recalled. “I felt menstruation was a shameful thing to talk about, even with my friends and family.”

As in Jeni’s case, menstruation is often never discussed by girls in Papua. A 2017 Health and Demographic Survey found that one in five girls never talk about the topic before they get their first menses. This rate is higher in rural areas, including in eastern parts of Indonesia like Papua Province.

When UNICEF informed Jeni about Oky, she decided to try the app and was impressed with its features. She began to regularly promote Oky to her followers on social media and encouraged young people in Papua – including boys – to download the app.

“This app is like our personal trustworthy assistant, and having a personal assistant is a luxury,” Jeni said. “Please download this cool app if you want to be empowered.”

Jeni’s videos featuring the Oky app on her Instagram account have received more than 5,000 views. While the initiative concluded in October 2020, she still continues to actively promote Oky on social media. Jeni’s commitment to ensuring that girls know more about their health goes beyond her work as an influencer.

“Having Oky in the hands of Papuan girls will give them access to a trustworthy source of information on menstruation,” she said. “Giving trustworthy information to Papuan girls is part of my personal mission to empower them.”