Only two decades ago, the status of many women in some South Asian countries was low. Many girls in rural areas were not allowed to study. Girls were inevitably married off as soon as they grew up, so what good was studying? Boys would get the best of the households’ food, the girls the leftovers.
But this discriminatory mindset has changed tremendously, in part thanks to a cartoon character.
The fictional character Meena stars in the South Asian children’s television show of the same name. Promoted by UNICEF, Meena and her TV show is very popular in the region. UNICEF developed the Meena Communication Initiative (MCI) as a mass communication project aimed at changing perceptions and behavior that hamper the survival, protection and development of girls in South Asia.
Bangladesh was the first country to meet Meena when a film about her struggle to go to school aired on Bangladesh national television (BTV) in 1993. The secondary characters of her stories include Meena’s brother Raju and her pet parrot Mithu.
According to an old report by UNICEF:
Meena has spread messages to stop child marriage and the practice of dowry and promote healthy toilet use, sending girls to school, equality between boys and girls and the right to education for the domestic workers. Her shows highlight the potential contributions to society that girls can make if provided an equal playing field.
Screenshot from the cover of a Meena comic book. Image courtesy UNICEF
How can a message spread by a small cartoon girl be so empowering that it has helped change the society radically? Housewife Naznin Rahman told the Daily Prothom Alo [bn]:
Shuvo Ankur wrote on the BDNews24.com’s kids page about the positive changes Meena has provoked:
Sohanur Rahman [bn] wrote on Kishorebarta that there is a lot to learn from the cartoon show:
Meena is also broadcast on radio. Farzana Islam Tithi, 24, who voices Meena, told The Daily Star:
Twitter user Bengalithings deemed Meena a role model:
To be honest, Meena from Meena cartoon was one of my childhood role models. #nosarcasm #truth #bengali
— PerksOfBeingBengali♡ (@bengalithingss) October 24, 2013
The UNICEF Bangladesh Twitter account (@UNICEFBD) reminded us that:
Animation character Meena continues to influence lives of children and dispel negative social stereotypes… http://t.co/h5mbXHr64Y
— UNICEF Bangladesh (@UNICEFBD) December 24, 2013
Every year on 24th October “Meena Day” is observed in Bangladesh to promote social awareness on 100% enrollment of kids in school, avoid dropouts and ensure proper education.
According to reports [bn], Meena has also become popular outside of the South Asian region. It has been dubbed in more than 30 languages such as Arabic, Burmese and Chinese. You can download free Meena comic books from here.
This post was originally published on Global Voices.
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[…] Only two decades ago, the status of many women in some South Asian countries was low. Many girls in rural areas were not allowed to study. Girls were inevitably married off as soon as they grew up, so what good was studying? Boys would get the best of the households’ food, the girls the leftovers.… […]