UNFPA India and Josh Unite to Ignite a Youth Movement for Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness

Marking International Youth Day, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Josh, India's fastest-growing and most engaged short-video app, have joined forces in a momentous partnership driven by a shared vision. This powerful collaboration seeks to empower youth across tier-2 and tier-3 cities in India, addressing a critical need in regions where support and services related to sexual and reproductive health rights are limited.

At the heart of this collaboration is the groundbreaking 'Just Ask! Khulke Poocho!' Chatbot, an innovative AI-powered platform designed to provide secure, personalized, and stigma-free spaces for young people. The chatbot was released by UNFPA in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Government of India.

Empowering Informed Choices:
The 'Just Ask' Chatbot is designed to foster a comprehensive understanding of sexual and reproductive health matters. By providing easy-to-understand, and verified information on sexual and reproductive health and services, the platform empowers users with the tools they need to navigate critical subjects, including puberty, menstruation, sexual and gender identity, safe sex, and contraception.

Fostering Awareness through Technology:
The campaign aims to disperse accurate and reliable information about the 'Just Ask! Khulke Poocho!' Chatbot, amplifying its reach and impact by leveraging the power of short-video content. The 'Just Ask! Khulke Poocho!' campaign leverages the widespread reach of Josh in 12 vernacular languages, harnessing its impressive user base of over 80 million Daily Active Users (DAUs) primarily hailing from non-metro areas. This strategic alignment of purpose and audience ensures that the campaign's transformative message will effectively reach and impact the young adults and adolescents it aims to serve.

The campaign employs engaging and thought-provoking videos from UNFPA'S youth networks, acting as powerful tools to inspire and drive youth participation. By blending technology and creativity, the campaign aims to inspire and encourage the vibrant population of tier-2 and tier-3 cities to embrace the 'Just Ask! Khulke Poocho!' Chatbot.

Unlocking a Brighter Future:
Madhya Pradesh Health Minister Prabhuram Choudhary said, "This AI-enabled chatbot is an achievement for Madhya Pradesh and a step in the right direction for the health of young people in the state. With just a mobile phone, so many important questions can be asked, and solutions provided. I congratulate all partners for this commendable innovation."

UNFPA India Representative Andrea M Wojnar said, "This chatbot is a digitally forward concept delivered at scale and diversity to meet the needs of the next generation. Using the most popular mode of communication, it ensures that health and well-being are literally at the fingertips of young people."

Sunder Venketraman, Head - Creator & Content Ecosystem, Josh said "We are honoured to collaborate with UNFPA in empowering youth with knowledge and facilitating open conversations through the Chatbot. The campaign on Josh will play a significant role in raising awareness about the Chatbot, enabling active participation from the youth and allowing young people to shape a more informed and equitable future for themselves."

Join the Movement:
To participate in the 'Just Ask' Campaign and contribute to the mission of sexual and reproductive health awareness, youth across India are invited to engage with the Chatbot.

https://api.whatsapp.com/send?phone=918657024841&text=Hi

By engaging in thought-provoking conversations, and informative content, youth can play a pivotal role in creating a more informed, empowered, and equitable society.

For further information and to join the 'Just Ask' movement, visit the UNFPA India account on the Josh App and embark on this transformative journey: http://bit.ly/UNFPA_India

About UNFPA:
UNFPA, the United Nations Sexual and Reproductive Health Agency, is dedicated to realizing reproductive rights for all. UNFPA supports access to sexual and reproductive health services, quality maternal health care, and comprehensive sexuality education.

About Josh:
Josh is a made-in-India, short-video app launched in August 2020 by VerSe Innovation. It represents a confluence of India's top 1000+ best creators, 20000 strong managed community of creators, the 10 biggest music labels, 15+ million UGC creators, best-in-class content creation tools, the hottest entertainment formats, and formidable user demographics. Josh has been consistently rated as the leading Indian short-video app in India on the Play store with 100 million+ downloads. Josh is currently the fastest growing and most engaged short-video app in India with over 153 million MAUs (Monthly Active Users), 74 million DAUs (Daily Active Users), and 23 minutes average time spent.