Behensexplaining Kitty Parties
Trade is committed to tackling inequalities in sexual health for everyone. We like to experiment with innovative ways to reach communities who struggle to access sexual health services. In 2021, we launched the Behensexplaining project to develop new tools to empower South Asian women in Leicester to look after their sexual health.
More about the project
Behensexplaining created resources to enable South Asian women to increase their knowledge and confidence when talking about sex, sexual health, HIV and contraception options. The project drew on inspiration from Indian serial dramas and Kitty Parties to create a fun and engaging way for women to share their experiences and gain new knowledge. Kitty Parties are informal savings clubs organized by women in India – they meet monthly and each member contributes funds to the collective ‘kitty’. The Behensexplaining initiative took the ethos of the Kitty Party, by collectively encouraging Behens (sisters).
The Behensexplaining project was funded by Public Health England’s HIV Innovation Fund. We worked with the Sharma Women’s Centre and Quetzal Leicester to develop the resources for the project and host Kitty Parties with their communities and service users.
57 women participated in the Kitty Party events used to pilot these resources. 89% of them reported that the information was presented in a clear and accessible manner. 83% said that they had more knowledge about sexual health after attending a Kitty Party. Almost all the women (95%) said they now had confidence to host a Kitty Party and talk to their friends about sexual health.