11-year-old saw her friends struggling so she made an app to break taboo about menstruation
Menstruation, while a completely normal biological process, is also a topic that is not openly discussed in our country because of multiple reasons. The taboos associated with the subject make it difficult for young girls experiencing menstruation to access information. But, one girl decided to break the taboo and created a app to help girls her age.
What does the app do?
Aayesha Goyal, an 11-year-old girl from Ahmedabad, Gujarat created an app called ‘Free Flo’ to help girls know key information about menstruation and also provides them with the option of tracking their cycle. The idea came to her after seeing her “friends struggling to understand why their body is going through certain changes."
“Young girls often find it very difficult to talk to adults about menstruation. The taboo surrounding the topic means that they have limited opportunities to ask a trusted adult all the queries they may have about the menstrual cycle," explains Aayesha.
She said: "They wanted to know more but didn’t know whom to turn to. In fact, most apps focusing on menstruation are geared towards adult women and not towards young girls."
How did she get the idea?
Talking about how she go the idea, she said, "That’s where I got the idea of creating an app which would function as a repository of information regarding menstrual health. Along with that I added more features, such as tracking period dates and a chat bot to answer queries related to issues associated with menstruation such as backache, acne and cramps.”
Aayesha's mentor
Parna Mehta, Aayesha’s mentor at WhiteHat Jr who guided her with the project, said, “Aayesha is an extremely perceptive child. She empathised with the problems faced by some of her friends and worked hard to offer a solution. The app ‘Free Flo’ is simple yet extremely interesting as it provides easy access and information to young girls."
Aayesha's mother
Aayesha’s mother Sheleza says, “As the mother of a young girl, I understand first-hand the kind of support our daughters require during menstruation. However, not every girl in India is fortunate enough to have an open and frank conversation about this topic with her family and friends.”
