Photo by Comenei Ali
COTABATO CITY—World’s first-ever period tracker that features girl-led design and gamified approach for Bangsamoro women and girls was launched Thursday, March 16, in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with support from various development partners.
The launched mobile application called “Oky Philippines” was designed to inform the users on menstruation and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Related Rights (SRHR). Since the app was developed to cater BARMM constituents, it comes with Islamic content.
It has been localized in the Bangsamoro region through a partnership between the United Nation Children Fund (UNICEF), Plan International, and support from the Australian Government. Key offices of BARMM such as the Office of the Chief Minister, Bangsamoro Darul-Ifta, Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Services and Development, Bangsamoro Youth Commission, and the Bangsamoro Information Office, also played major roles in vetting the app’s Islamic content and ensuring its alignment to Islamic teachings.
Plan International Philippines Country Director Ana Maria Locsin said during the launching held in this city that it is important that young people, particularly women in their puberty stage, have support system.
“It is important that we recognized the challenges and barriers young girls and young women continue to face in their pursuit of equality and justice,” Locsin said.
“Oky is for everyone who may need a friend to help us be a better parent, teacher, sister, brother, and supporter for the girls around us,” she further said.
Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim in his message said that the launching of the app is a manifestation of the regional government’s effort in valuing the delicate and significant role of women in nation-building as well as their dedication to sustaining peace in the region.
“The Oky Menstrual Tracker App is very timely and significant as we continue to eliminate the risk factors that hinder our young girls and women from attaining the quality of life they want and deserve,” Ebrahim said.
“This is one of the many manifestations of the progress that we all want,” he added.
In a joint press release today, it said that the launch of the Oky Philippines app in BARMM marks the start of a wider initiative in the country to make the innovative digital solution accessible to all Filipino girls and women and provide them with girl-friendly information on menstruation, puberty, and reproductive health.
The mobile application is now available for download from Google playstore as “Oky Philippines.”(Abdullah Matucan/BIO)
