69 percent is not just any percentage; it is a critical percentage of Indian women who do not have access to or seek medical treatment for reproductive health on their own. This is a significant and disturbing issue that must be addressed. This is something that everyone should be aware of. Above all, social authorities must work toward this aim and assist women in building healthy and confident communities. With its Doctor Didi campaign, Shethepeople has already begun working toward this goal. Let’s see how they plan to make it happen!
Shethepeople and Doctor Didi
Shethepeople, which started as an idea in the middle of the night has now evolved into the biggest online platform for women in India. Shaili Chopra is the founder of SheThePeople, a website dedicated to and written by women.
Politics, news, culture, and the arts are all covered in articles. For information and tools on sexual and reproductive health, there are also op-ed pieces, films, and even virtual chatbots.
One of Chopra’s biggest achievements is the creation of ‘Doctor Didi‘, a virtual and nonjudgmental chatbot with which users can discuss sexual health. This initiative was especially significant to Chopra because “sexual health discussions remain taboo in India.” The Mumbai-based entrepreneur is now inspired by the ladies she meets daily and the sisterhood she has built.
So, let’s see what Doctor Didi is all about!
How does Doctor Didi work?
Shaili Chopra, the founder of SheThePeople, created Doctor Didi, a technological product. Shaili, a Stanford Draper Hills Fellow, has been working with women across India to find technological solutions to their problems.
This is a simple technology-driven solution: messaging (through the web in local languages) that will provide women with access to a chat-based solution and connect them with medical specialists.
69 percent of Indian women do not have access to or actively seek medical care or sexual health advice. This is a significant issue that must be addressed to safeguard the health of women all around the country.
What is Doctor Didi Chatbot?
The mobile messaging and web-based chatbot created by Doctor Didi answers basic queries about reproductive rights and sexual health. It provides answers based on a knowledge bank built by Shethepeople’s network of female counsellors and sexual health medical professionals.
In India, in both rural and urban areas, discussions regarding sexual health are frowned upon. Doctor Didi’s tech-enabled private safe place will provide important knowledge about health, body, and sexuality to India’s 450 million young women.
What is the Impact of Doctor Didi?
- Health Of Women Across India:
Millions of women will be able to discuss and resolve their sexual health issues using the Doctor Didi chat service. Doctor Didi would use technology to create regular check-ins, allowing women to manage their concerns confidentially and securely. Due to a shortage of options for women, many of these women are self-employed or manage home-based small companies. Doctor Didi would have the direct effect of making adult females healthier and more confident.
- Marginalised Communities:
When it comes to the usage of and access to sexual and reproductive health care in India, economic position, gender, and social standing are all intertwined. As a result of the large information gap they experience, women become a marginalised community. Doctor Didi will be an information equaliser for its female users’ thanks to mobile messaging. Our project will be intersectional in both its teams and its implementation strategy.
What changes can Doctor Didi bring?
- Within its 3 million user base, this website has sparked doctor-led debates regarding sexual health.
- Shaili Chopra wants to make this a unique initiative that combines a technological answer with a real-world issue. It is crucial to provide safe spaces because sexual health is taboo.
- The health of women and their connections to economic value generation is a subject of citizen rights.
- From understanding one’s body to sexual and reproductive rights to maternity leave, leave for miscarriage, and other issues, national policy is crucial.
Conclusion
The Doctor Didi service can become a tremendous asset in the field of reproductive health, and it may also be employed in other markets. Using technology to provide access to medical solutions is a critical step for ShethePeople in bringing healthcare to local communities across India.
Will concerns about gender bias be ignored in the pursuit of such a product? It’s a tough call. To fully address this issue, researchers must first address the reasons why women in India do not seek medical treatment for reproductive health issues: low incomes, low literacy, a lack of knowledge, and a lack of awareness about available facilities. Before putting technology into the mix, work must be done to create change at these levels. We must ensure that it will work for the general benefit, rather than only reach an educated elite who are already aware.
