Oky PNG

Under the azure Port Moresby skies streaked with cotton-white clouds, 16-year-old Rachel recalls being 13 when she first saw blood on her underwear and couldn’t stop crying.

“I had no idea what was happening—was something wrong with me?”

Rachel reflects on the fear and confusion of her first period, a common experience for many girls in Papua New Guinea and around the world.

Menstruation remains one of the most persistent taboos. UNICEF is addressing this challenge by involving girls like Rachel in developing solutions such as the Oky PNG period tracker, a menstrual and sexual reproductive health education app.

Supported by the Government of Australia and in collaboration with Save the Children, UNICEF is committed to improving access to accurate menstrual health information and advancing gender equality through normative change. Oky PNG is more than an initiative—it’s a movement towards greater autonomy and empowerment for girls in Papua New Guinea.

“If I had something like Oky when I was younger, it would have made such a difference,” says Leonardine, 19, a participant in the ongoing user testing sessions for the Oky PNG app, which took place in Port Moresby in August.

The Oky PNG app is designed to empower girls like Rachel and Leonardine by providing them with the information they need to take control of their bodies and their lives. With one of the highest adolescent fertility rates in the Asia-Pacific region—54 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19—Papua New Guinea faces significant challenges in sexual and reproductive health. The Oky PNG app aims to tackle these challenges, enabling girls to lead the lives they aspire to.

Rachel, who wants to become a nurse and help people in her community, shows signs of being a true community leader. “I want to share the information in the Oky PNG app with girls living in my settlement. There are girls who don’t have access to phones, but I can support them.”

Due to limited internet and smartphone coverage in Papua New Guinea, Oky PNG is being developed as a multi-platform product, including an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) platform and a radio show. The Oky Toky Radio show went live in August and is broadcast every Wednesday at 3:30 PM (local time) on Tribe 92.3 FM.

The development of the Oky PNG app, Oky Toky radio, and IVR platforms is grounded in girl-centred design. By involving girls like Rachel and Leonardine in the design and testing phases, UNICEF and Oky franchise partner Save the Children are ensuring that girls' voices are at the core and that they are not passive recipients of products built for them.

The Oky PNG initiative also includes boys, parents, and caregivers to build a supportive social ecosystem where girls can reach their full potential. Leonardine adds, “I see boys teasing menstruating girls when they should be supporting them. Boys need to learn about menstruation, as teasing harms girls’ self-esteem.”