#PeriodPositivity | App to empower young girls, parents launched

Young dads in Johannesburg have hailed the OKY app as a vital resource, helping them better understand their daughters’ menstrual health.

The fathers were speaking at the launch of South Africa’s newest period tracking app, Oky South Africa, aimed at empowering young girls with period health information.

The app was created through a unique partnership between UNICEF and loveLife, with the added support of the Department of Basic Education.

Silas Kekana, one of the minds behind the Oky app, says the innovative technology is all about ending the cycle of disinformation around period health and giving young girls back their confidence.

Available for free download and easily accessible even without data, the Oky period tracking app includes important information for young girls such as when to seek medical help should they experience irregular periods.

It also provides tips on sanitation, sexual and reproductive health and overall well-being while on their menstrual cycles.

Research from Stellenbosch University shows that about 30% of young girls miss school while on their periods, while girl learners loose up to five days of learning each month due to their periods.

And as girls and young women continue to be sidelined due to a lack of access to menstrual resources, the dads say that using the OKY app is just one of the ways they’re empowering themselves with the knowledge, to better assist their young girls. Written by Naomi Kobbie