New Blood Entry — Project Annapurna
Award: Yellow Pencil
The Case for Her & Hey Jane / 2023
Women in rural India often resort to toxic unconventional methods of abortion referred to as karas and totkas - age-old indigenous concoctions that have dangerous effects on their bodies.
While the termination of an unwanted pregnancy is legal in India, women living in Madhya Pradesh, where fertility and maternal mortality are higher than the Indian average, often encounter numerous challenges when accessing safe abortion services.
The origin of these karas traces back to the Indian kitchen - often a safe space for the women in the country
To educate women about safe abortion practices using jute bags that store rice - an ingredient found in every Indian kitchen.
What did the judges have to say?
The craft and simplicity of this sophisticated, but low-tech, solution for the end user was brilliant in its conception. The fact that the idea could be extended from the kitchen into the household, into the community and then into wider society, means the response could be discussed for years across diverse audience segments in different physical settings. And, despite the idea being grounded in a defined geographical community, it could work in many countries across the globe.
Ned Mendez, Founder and Director, Clash Digital