Kissa Kahani: Empowering Adolescent Reproductive Health
Overview
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For many young people, discussing sexual and reproductive health can be awkward, and even stigmatizing in certain parts of the world. In many developing countries, gender inequalities impact health outcomes for women and girls. Kissa Kahani was a multi-year project in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India that aimed to understand the role of gender in adolescent reproductive health.
Objective
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Promoting reproductive health and family planning through promoting the value of education and financial autonomy for girls.
Approach +
Methodology
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• Multimedia
• Storytelling
• Data collection
Project Components
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Kissa Kahani means “stories” In Hindi and the project combined traditional curriculum with digital animated stories, games, and graphic novels. These tools were co-created with young people, addressing their concerns and desires related to sexual and reproductive health. The content was tailored to Indian adolescents, covering topics like menstruation hygiene, family planning, and sexual harassment prevention.
Health Area Modules
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Menstruation Module
Focused on puberty, menstrual hygiene, and schools becoming more menstruation-friendly. Participants played a board game in which they competed as school administrators to win a contest for developing resources to support girls attending school during menstruation.
Family Planning Module
Increased awareness and education about fertility, contraception, and risks associated with early marriage and childbearing via an engaging graphic novel format.
Sexual Harassment Prevention Module
Focused on street-level sexual harassment, depicting real-life situations in an animated digital story.
Findings / Impact
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Research on Kissa Kahani assessed feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness among young people and stakeholders.
Related study publications:
Using body mapping to explore gender with adolescents in Uttar Pradesh [link]
Exploring young women’s menstruation-related challenges in Uttar Pradesh, India, using the socio-ecological framework [link]
Understanding young women’s experiences of gender inequality in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh through story circles [link]
Understanding adolescents experiences with gender-based norms in India through a participatory storytelling game [link]
