Citation :

Kratika Shah, "Dignity and Access through Digital Tools: Evaluating the Impact of SakhiSetu App on the Holistic Wellbeing of Rural Girls," International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 13, no. 3, pp. 139-152, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V13I3P113

Abstract

In India, particularly in rural settings, health information regarding menstruation is quite low or limited. This biological event has been surrounded by so many stigmas and myths, causing severe physical and psychological risks for adolescent girls during their transition period. Traditional “pad-centric” policies often ignore the deep-seated stigma that prevents autonomous decision-making. This research evaluates the efficacy of the Sakhisetu, a bilingual mobile application, in improving menstrual health literacy and facilitating a psychosocial shift among adolescent girls in rural Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Haryana. The app bypasses the traditional information barriers and acts as a private, comprehensive digital guide. It delivers stigma-free and scientific knowledge in easy and understandable language to young girls in these remote areas. Beyond hygiene metrics, the study investigates how digital literacy or Sakhisetu app helps in the transition of the participants’ narrative from shame and impurity to treating menstruation as a natural phenomenon and biological event, which doesn’t make a woman impure. A Mixed-Methods Pragmatic design (N=188 for the baseline survey and N=83 for the follow-up survey) was adopted. Quantitative data were gathered through a 25-item questionnaire followed by another 15-item questionnaire from three government girls’ schools pertaining to three different states, complemented by 6-8 weeks of ethnographic observations. Findings show that while digital literacy or mHealth increases information uptake and spreads awareness to overcome the menstrual myths and stigmas, invisible social domination (patriarchal society or male dominance) and environmental determinants (lack of private infrastructure) remain significant barriers to attaining menstrual dignity and to uproot deep-seated stigma and taboos in rural settings. Digital interventions are highly effective to teach about menstrual management, myth busting & stigma reduction, but must be paired with mandatory male education and physical infrastructure to ensure a dignified life for rural women.

Keywords

Menstrual Awareness, Adolescent Girls, Rural, Public Health, Sakhisetu.

References