- 1 in 2 pregnant women in India is anemic, and risk passing on the iron deficiency to her child*
- Launched following Mother’s Day, Streedhan “Godbharai’ encourages women to invest in iron to improve their – and their child’s – health
Project Streedhan, a public health initiative by DSM to tackle iron-deficiency among women in India, has launched a new campaign to raise awareness that anemia – suffered by more than half of all women in the country– can have serious consequences for a mother-to-be’s unborn child. The new ‘Godbharai’ campaign emphasizes the importance of iron consumption during pregnancy and is the latest in DSM’s anemia-awareness campaign, which first began in 2019, to bring attention to this unseen consequence of women’s health.
Mother’s Day is also Mother-to-be Day.
The campaign is consciously timed after Mother’s Day 2022 to make all mothers-to-be aware and encourage them to invest in their health to protect the health of the unborn child.
This new campaign focuses on a healthy and an“Anemia Mukt” mother-to-be. A follow-up to the previous 2iconicStreedhan campaigns, that garnered over 21 million views till date, the new rendition aims to spark conversations about the importance of investing in iron as a critical nutrient to help improve and maintain a mother-to-be’s health. The film beautifully captures a Godbharai where a mother-to-be is being endowed with all worldly gifts, but her heart says, “Mori tamanna, Heera na Panna, Lohe ka mohe la de re gehna…” Delicious visuals of iron-rich fruits and vegetables are showcased as an allegory for expensive ornaments, through a soulful rendition of this verse. This campaign seeks to differ from the usual inter-generational cycle but instead focuses on the “mother-to-be” and how she can break this cycle by investing in her health and prevent anemia for the sake of her unborn child.
Speaking about Project Streedhan, B Rajagopal, President – DSM India, said, “India’s challenge with anemia is a crucial barrier to social development. We launched the Project Streedhan series to help people understand the extensive prevalence of anemia and therefore the importance of investing in iron to improve health. With this new Godbharai campaign, we take the Streedhan message one step further and focus on the woman as a “mother-to-be” and how investing in her health can prevent anemia and protect the health of her unborn child. We hope to trigger conversations about the issue and support the national thrust around the importance of iron and folic acid supplementation.
Swati Bhattacharya, Creative Chairperson, FCB India, who conceptualized the campaign said, “A country that worships women as avatars of Durga and Shakti has often missed giving attention to her nutritional needs. Playing Annapurnas for others, our women tend to ignore their health and nutritional necessities. Iron deficiency in women is possibly the most common nutritional issue in India and its impact on maternal and fetal health is a cause of extreme concern. Project Streedhan sought to bring focus on the appalling levels of awareness of anemia in women with the first campaign (2019) that successfully and creatively introduced the idea of iron deficiency in women and the need to address it.”
The elements of the campaign have been chosen carefully to reach the intended audience of mothers-to-be – reaching them through a powerful film and social media messaging, along with on-ground outreach activities among key stakeholders like Gynecologists, Nutritionists, Health Clinics and Swasthya Sewa Kendras.
Project Streedhan is a CSR initiative of DSM, a global purpose-led science-based leader in health through nutrition.
FCB Ulka, among India’s most awarded creative agency in recent years, has conceptualized and created the Streedhan campaign.
*According to the recently published National Family Health Survey-5 [2019-21] Anemia Mukt Bharat – a program of the Ministry of Health, Government of India, and the UNICEF states that 57% of women of reproductive age, 52% of pregnant women and 67% of children between 6 and 59 months of age are all anemic.
DSM
Royal DSM is a global, purpose-led company in Health, Nutrition & Bioscience, applying science to improve the health of people, animals and the planet. DSM’s purpose is to create brighter lives for all. DSM’s products and solutions address some of the world’s biggest challenges while simultaneously creating economic, environmental and societal value for all its stakeholders – customers, employees, shareholders, and society at large. The company was founded in 1902 and is listed on Euronext Amsterdam. More information can be found at www.dsm.com.
