Abstract
Menstruation and, therefore, menstrual hygiene management are considered taboo topics in the patriarchal society of Pakistan. With limited resources and a lack of access to credible information, several myths and misconceptions about menstruation are common in the country. This leads to added pressure on women and young girls, impacting their lives in various ways. Raaji—a rule-based chatbot—aims to create awareness about menstrual hygiene and reproductive health. The chatbot provides valuable information to women, particularly in rural areas, serving as an example of feminist technology. This chapter explores the affordances and limitations of Raaji, raising important questions about the agency of women and digital safe spaces.
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Notes
- 1.
The term “period poverty” refers to “a lack of access to menstrual products, education, hygiene facilities, waste management, or a combination of these” (Geng, 2021). The lack of awareness in the society and unavailability of menstrual hygiene products all contribute to the gravity of the situation.
- 2.
“Baithak is a non-profit organization that advocates for gender justice, especially women’s access to their reproductive rights in Pakistan through advocacy, education, and awareness.” (Baithak—Challenging Taboos, n.d.)
- 3.
“HER Pakistan is a youth and women led organization that empowers individuals about menstruation through education, service and advocacy.” (HER Pakistan, n.d.)
- 4.
Mahwari Justice is a “student led grassroot movement providing menstrual relief to flood affectees in Pakistan.” (Mahwari Justice, n.d.)
- 5.
A chatbot “based on a fixed predefined set of rules” with questions and answers already fed into the system is a rule-based chatbot. Such a chatbot typically does not accept text inputs from the users. Instead, the users can select from the options presented to them (Adamopoulou & Moussiades, 2020, p. 378).
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Khan, K.L., Azhar, F. (2023). FemTech and Taboo Topics: Raaji as a Tool for Educating Women in Pakistan. In: Balfour, L.A. (eds) FemTech. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-5605-0_9
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