Flowing Forward: The Gap Between Affordability and Menstrual Health

Project 7

Course Name: Development Communication Course Code: MSJ11401 Project Type: Communication Campaign Plan Project Name: Flowing forward : the gap between affordability and menstrual health Project Date: Spring 2024

Project Description:

This communication campaign plan, developed for the Development Communication course, addresses the gap between menstrual health and affordability in Bangladesh. Titled “Flowing Forward,” the project focuses on raising awareness, reducing stigma, and promoting access to affordable menstrual products among women aged twenty to forty. It is based on survey insights highlighting financial barriers, limited awareness, and cultural taboos. The campaign uses social media, interpersonal communication, and group discussions to engage audiences. Key materials include posters, digital storytelling, and a dedicated Facebook page. The plan integrates behavior analysis, targeted messaging, and multi channel strategies to encourage informed practices and improve menstrual health outcomes.

Project Justification:

Menstrual health remains a neglected yet critical public health issue in Bangladesh, deeply connected to affordability and social stigma. Survey findings show that many women struggle to access basic menstrual products, leading to negative health effects and missed educational or work opportunities. Additionally, widespread unawareness of existing initiatives highlights a major communication gap. This project is justified as it addresses both economic and socio cultural barriers through strategic communication. By promoting awareness, encouraging dialogue, and advocating for affordable solutions, the campaign aims to enhance dignity, health, and equality. It also aligns with broader development goals of gender equity and inclusive access to essential health resources.

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MSJ11401: Development Communication

Project Name: Flowing forward : the gap between affordability and menstrual health

Submitted to: Muhammad Aminuzzaman Senior Lecturer Bachelor of Social Science, Media Studies and Journalism (MSJ)

Submitted by: Istiaque Ahmed Eshan (201011135) Tauhid Ullah Khan (193011023) Fahteen Hossain (201012076) Md Navid Anzum (182011065)

Section - 2

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Flowing Forward - The gap between menstrual health and affordability

Table of Contents

              Content
Page no.
Executive summary
03
Introduction
04
Situation Analysis
05
Target audience analysis
07
Audience behavior analysis
08
Goals and Objectives.
09
Messages
11
Communication Channels
12
Communication Materials
12
References
14

Executive summary

Communication Objectives Objectives

• The gap between affordability and menstrual health

  Communication Interventions

• Creating awareness to social media posting Beneficiary groups

• Women age 20 to 40 Materials

• Posters

• Facebook page

• Digital Story Channel / Media

• Internet

• Interpersonal Communication

• Group communication

  Desired Output

• To raise awareness about menstrual health and to diminish taboos related to it initiating access to basic menstrual products also promotion of more affordable menstrual health solutions

Introduction

Menstrual health and affordability are critical factors in women's well-being. Providing cheap menstruation products and thorough health education is critical for promoting hygiene, comfort, and dignity. In this introduction, we will look at the confluence between menstrual health and affordability, including the problems, implications, and potential solutions to provide equal access for all people. The lives of women and people of all genders around the world are impacted by the significant intersections between menstrual health and affordability. Lack of access to reasonably priced menstrual products and thorough health education can have serious repercussions that impact not just one's physical health but also one's mental and emotional wellbeing. These difficulties are made worse by stigma and cultural taboos around menstruation, which marginalize and make it more difficult for women who experience it to get services and help. Also, it's critical to create surroundings that value comfort, dignity, and hygiene. This calls for the establishment of supportive policies in public areas, workplaces, and educational institutions in addition to the supply of reasonably priced goods. We may work toward menstrual equity—a situation in which every person has equal access to the tools and assistance required to properly manage their menstrual health—through cooperative efforts and activism.

Situational Analysis

In Bangladesh, menstrual health is still a major problem that is frequently disregarded, with many women having difficulty finding reasonably priced menstrual hygiene items. The survey data provides insight into the scope of these issues and how they affect women's general well-being, health, and educational opportunities.

Access and Affordability

According to the survey, an astounding 72.2% of participants have firsthand experience with difficulties obtaining reasonably priced menstrual hygiene products. This suggests that accessibility and affordability are major problems for the entire nation. Furthermore, 38.9% of participants state that they occasionally or more frequently struggle to purchase sanitary pads or other menstruation safety supplies. This emphasizes how persistent the issue is and how many women lack access to necessary menstrual hygiene products due to budgetary constraints.

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Awareness of Initiatives

A startling 72.2% of respondents are unaware of any governmental or non-governmental programs focused at providing menstrual hygiene products, despite the urgent need for reasonably priced items in this area. This ignorance points to a communication and outreach deficit on the part of pertinent authorities and groups. Raising awareness of current programs may help those in need have easier access to reasonably priced feminine hygiene products.

Health and Well-being Implications

The results of the poll highlight how detrimental it is to women's everyday life and health to have restricted access to reasonably priced feminine hygiene products. The vast majority of respondents (61.1%) state that using insufficient menstrual hygiene products has had a negative impact on their health. Additionally, more than half (55.6%) have missed work or school because menstrual hygiene items were not readily available. The aforementioned results underscore the pressing necessity for all-encompassing measures aimed at tackling the health and socio-economic consequences of irregular menstruation in Bangladesh.

Our survey's findings highlight Bangladesh's pressing need to close the affordability and menstruation health disparity. Promoting health, dignity, and gender equality, stakeholders may ensure that all women have access to inexpensive menstrual hygiene products by adopting targeted interventions, increasing awareness, and fostering collaboration. The questions that we asked during our interview are :

1. How do financial constraints impact access to menstrual hygiene products in Bangladesh?

2. What are the main challenges faced by low-income women in managing menstrual health in Bangladesh?

3. What are the potential long-term consequences of inadequate menstrual health management due to financial constraints in Bangladesh?

4. What are the cultural perceptions and taboos surrounding menstruation in Bangladesh, and how do they intersect with affordability issues?

5. Are there sustainable and cost-effective alternatives to commercial menstrual products being promoted in Bangladesh?

6. What are the perspectives of healthcare providers and policymakers on addressing menstrual health affordability as a public health issue in Bangladesh?

Target audience analysis

Effective communication and advocacy on menstrual health and affordability require an understanding of the target audience. The audience is quite diverse and consists of women of age 20 to 40.

1. Health Care Professionals: Physicians, nurses, and public health experts are essential in offering menstrual health-related information, assistance, and services.

2. Educators: The individuals in charge of incorporating menstruation health education into school programmes are teachers, school administrators, and curriculum developers.

3. Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs): These are groups that prioritize human rights, gender equality, and women's health. They frequently operate locally to offer resources and assistance to underprivileged groups.

4. The General Public: People of all genders who might gain from a better knowledge and comprehension of menstrual health issues, as well as those who might be influenced by relevant laws and customs either directly or indirectly., etc.

Messages and tactics can be specifically designed to appeal to each of these audience groups in order to increase participation, raise awareness, and spur constructive action towards enhancing menstrual health and affordability for all.

Audience behavior analysis

It is necessary to comprehend the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of the target audience in relation to menstrual health and affordability in order to analyze their behavior. Here are some important things that we considered

1. Awareness and Knowledge: Evaluating the audience's degree of knowledge and awareness of menstrual health issues, such as anatomy, cleanliness connected to the period, and the significance of having access to reasonably priced goods.

2. Stigma and Taboos: Understanding how much the public's perceptions and actions are influenced by cultural taboos and the stigma associated with menstruation. This involves tackling the stigma, discrimination, and misconceptions around menstruation.

3. Access and Affordability: Analyzing the difficulties and experiences of the audience in obtaining menstruation products, with a focus on underprivileged groups and those with limited resources. Understanding how financial difficulties affect behavior, such as resorting to riskier alternatives or missing school or work due to lack of access.

4. Cultural and Social Context: Understanding the range of cultural backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, geographical locations, and gender identities within the audience. adjusting strategies and messaging to speak to the unique needs and experiences of various audience segments.

Through comprehension of these behavioral dimensions, we tried to formulate more focused and efficacious approaches to foster knowledge, affordability, and accessibility to menstrual health for all individuals.

Goals and objectives

Any programme that focuses on menstruation health and cost must have specific aims and objectives. The following were our aims and related targets:

Goal 1: Increase awareness and education about menstrual health and affordability

• Increase awareness through social media posting so there are more alternative affordable menstrual health solutions being promoted and developed and are made accessible to lower income communities. Also to distribute these affordable options and spread the knowledge through educators, healthcare providers, and community leaders to integrate menstrual health education.

• Make these resources available online, through community centers, schools, and medical facilities.

• Collaborate with educators, medical professionals, and local authorities to incorporate menstruation health education into community initiatives and school curricula.

Goal 2: Make more reasonably priced menstruation products accessible.

• Promote laws that remove sales taxes from menstruation products and give low-income people financial aid.

• Create routes for the free or subsidized distribution of menstruation products in community centers, businesses, shelters, and schools.

• Work together with distributors, merchants, and nonprofit groups to lower the price of menstruation products and expand their accessibility in underprivileged areas.

Goal 3: Lessen the shame and taboos associated with menstruation.

• Start public awareness initiatives to dispel stigma, prejudices, and myths around menstruation.

• Lead candid talks and seminars about menstruation in community, business, and educational settings.

• Encourage people to talk about their menstrual experiences and tales in order to promote acceptance, empathy, and understanding.

Goal 4: Give people the tools they need to properly manage their menstrual health.

• Make complete healthcare services accessible, such as screenings for period health issues, consultations, and treatment for menstrual problems.

• Provide culturally aware and gender-inclusive education to healthcare professionals regarding menstrual health care.

• Provide knowledge, direction, and emotional support regarding menstruation health through support groups, hotlines, and internet resources.

By establishing these aims and objectives, stakeholders may work to improve menstrual health knowledge, accessibility, and affordability, ultimately enhancing people's quality of life and overall well-being on a global scale.

Messages

Creating messaging that effectively promotes menstrual health and affordability requires presenting important facts in an understandable, compassionate, and inclusive way. The following are some possible messages,

1. Empowerment and Dignity: Every person has the right to confidently and with dignity manage their menstrual health. Let's dispel the stigma and guarantee that everyone has access to reasonably priced goods and thorough education.

2. Access for All: Everyone has the fundamental right to menstrual health. Our goal is to guarantee that everyone has access to reasonably priced goods and the knowledge they require to maintain their comfort and health.

3. Knowledge Is Power: Education Is Important. Menstrual health education can help break taboos, foster understanding, and give people the confidence to take charge of their own health.

4. No Shame, No Stigma: The stigma and silence around menstruation need to disappear. Let's build a society in which discussing one's needs and body in public is normal for everyone.

5. Health and Well-Being: Maintaining your menstrual health is crucial to your general health and happiness. Put your health and comfort first, from maintaining proper hygiene to getting help from a doctor when necessary.

We can encourage action, develop empathy, and bring about good change by crafting messages that speak to a variety of groups and addressing different aspects of menstruation health and affordability.

Communication channels

When delivering messages regarding menstrual health and affordability to a wide audience, efficient communication methods are essential. The following are some possible channels to think about,

1. Social media posting on Facebook for sharing educational content, including images, videos, and postings. It will also allow users to participate in discussions and support causes by utilizing hashtags and carefully chosen campaigns.

Advocates and organizations may effectively engage a variety of audiences, raise awareness, and motivate action to improve menstruation health and affordability for all by using these communication methods.

Communication materials

Developing persuasive communication tools is crucial to bringing attention to menstruation health and affordability issues and encouraging action. Here are some essential resources to think about,

• Posters and Infographics: Catchy posters and infographics that emphasize important points, debunk rumors, and encourage positive perspectives on menstruation.

• Educational Videos: Interesting and educational videos that address a range of topics related to menstruation health, good hygiene habits, menstrual disorders, and the significance of having access to reasonably priced goods and medical care.

• Word of mouth: Nothing spreads faster and like a wildfire like the word of mouth so it is one of our targets to make public talk about this so awareness spreads faster whether it is about taboos related to menstrual health or it's about affordability or lower income communities not being able to properly afford menstrual health products

Successfully communicate messages, educate communities, and spur action towards menstruation health and affordability by creating a wide range of communication materials targeted to various audiences and platforms.

References :

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10378792/

https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/4/e042134

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-13478-1

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318345028_Menstrual_hygiene_management_among_Bangladeshi_adolescent_schoolgirls_and_risk_factors_affecting_school_absence_Results_from_a_cross-sectional_survey

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Learnings:

• Understanding the real life impact of affordability on menstrual health
• Recognizing the role of communication in breaking social taboos
• Gaining insight into audience segmentation and behavior analysis
• Learning how to design targeted and culturally sensitive messages
• Exploring the importance of multi channel communication strategies
• Developing skills in campaign planning and structured documentation
• Reflecting on gender inequality and public health challenges
• Realizing the value of data driven decision making
• Learning to connect theory with practical social issues
• Understanding the importance of empathy in development communication

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