In Burkina Faso, a country that ranks 157th out of 162 countries in the Gender Inequality Index, gender roles in decision-making prevent many women from discussing contraception with their husband and accessing services.
In 2017, MSI Reproductive Choices (MSI) partnered with IDEO.org to build more acceptance and demand for contraception among married girls and women in rural Burkina Faso. Together, we built La Famille Idéale—a community board game and a public conversation designed to transform gender norms and encourage conversation around family planning through play.
The pilot’s success in Burkina Faso led to the expansion of the project in Senegal, Niger, and Mali. In each country, the game has shapeshifted to reflect the beliefs, aspirations, and culture of the communities, changing the way couples plan for the future of their families.
The Power of Play
In Burkina Faso, La Famille Idéale (a multi-player board game) was designed to transform gender dynamics in conversations surrounding family planning and promote greater acceptance of contraception.
Through a combination of role play, conversation, and behavioral economics, it leverages fun and joyful strategies to bridge the gap to a challenging topic. The player’s journey through the game kindles dialogue that wouldn’t have been entertained otherwise.
To engage husbands and other influential male figures in family planning discussions, La Famille Idéale strategically frames conversations about contraception through topics that appeal to decision makers such as its impact on family finances or access to education. Simultaneously, the game puts women at the center of the activity, building their knowledge and confidence in engaging their husbands in conversations on contraception.
The audience that huddles around the players is elemental to the experience. Their opinions, candid inquiries, and playful banter create space for an MSI facilitator to answer questions and dispel common myths about family planning. After engaging with the game, participants are primed for a more in-depth and personal conversation on family planning with a member of the MSI team.
When we prototyped the game in different contexts, people gathered to watch and chime in, awaiting the results of who would win.
Scaling Impact Across Geographies & Issue Areas
Following La Famille Idéale’s success in Burkina Faso, the game was easily adapted to achieve similar goals in Senegal, Niger and Mali.
In each country, the mechanics and elements of the game were modified to address the specific gender dynamics and nuances of its respective cultural context. In Burkina Faso, the board game featured an illustration of a mosque next to a church reflecting the physical landscape of the surrounding community; a detail easily interchangeable to adapt the game to other regions. In Senegal, role play cards put greater emphasis on older female family members who are key decision makers in conversations about contraception.
La Famille Idéale has also been leveraged by governments and partner NGOs. In Mali and Senegal, the government endorsed the tool in its national action plans to drive demand for family planning. Recently, Sightsavers collaborated with MSI to repurpose the game for an entirely new objective in Nigeria: shifting community attitudes towards individuals with disabilities.
The game’s widespread appeal coupled with its effortless ability to adapt renders it a versatile tool for dispelling myths and fostering conversations across a diverse range of contexts and geographies.
