IDEAS FROM AROUND THE WORLD: These Two Girls Created An Online Game To Fight Menstrual Taboos

Sophie Houser and Andrea Gonzales created an exciting online game, Tampon Run, to fight menstrual taboos. Check it out here.

The hush related to menstruation is not new to this world. Menstrual taboo and the weird reactions associated with it are an inevitable connection that we are quite used to by now. It is not solely in India that we are bombarded by the religious norms.

Similar Story

Can Your Innovation Change Lives? Apply for ‘Quiet Innovators’ Contest; Total Prizes of Rs 4 Lakh

Attention, changemakers! Need a platform for your innovation? The ‘Quiet Innovators’ contest by The Better India and Shiv Nadar Foundation aims to empower you and help you scale up your impact.

Read more >

Two teenage girls in New York – Sophie Houser and Andrea Gonzales – have attempted to fight the parochialism regarding menstruation with the help of an online video game Tampon Run.

Technology takes a new stride when we beat conservatism with the use of innovation. The aim of Tampon Run is to combat menstrual taboos with some humor.

While Gonzales was interested in addressing the misogynist propaganda of the society, Houser wanted to build a game where tampons will be thrown at the enemies who apparently try to confiscate them.

“We joked about it for a while, but decided to look into it more and quickly realized that the menstrual taboo is a global issue that needs to be addressed,” said Gonzales.

“Women are taught throughout their lives that their periods are embarrassing and crude, something to feel ashamed of. As a result, Tampon Run was born.”

The mobile version of the app is a little different from the web game. The enemies when hit by the tampons become pads and fly in the sky.

The game tries to bring the word ‘menstruation’ under the normative school. Menstruation is as natural and normal as any other bodily process.

The ardent teenagers believe that Tampon Run is a large and global movement. While giving a talk at TEDx, they reiterated how the shame culture is always connected when you go out at a shop to buy pads or tampons.

The video game targets the violent culture of the other games and goes ahead with its social reformation process.

The tech based game seeks to address the gender bias. Think how interesting it would be to fight against the social mindsets through games and videos. The game has set an example for all other societies to learn and lessen the gulfs and conflicts we cater to.

Here is a demo video of the game –

Visit their website to play the addictive game or get the iOS app here.

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter (@thebetterindia).