Afghan condoms a hard sell
News24.com, South Africa
Edited by Duane Heath
05/04/2004



Kabul - In the country that gave birth to the Taliban movement and
where Islam rules supreme, a small revolution is taking place. Next
week, an American aid agency will begin a major condom campaign in
conservative Afghanistan - without using the word 'sex'.



The Washington-based social marketing group Population Services
International (PSI) has already begun to distribute about 1.6
million 'Number One' condoms for sale at the subsidised price of one
Afghani (about 14c) in the pharmacies and grocery stores of five
major cities.



The project, which began quietly in January in the Afghan capital
Kabul, has already been a success, organisers say.



But they face their biggest challenge when they begin a "culturally
adapted" public awareness campaign next week with radio spots,
sponsorships and billboards advertising their birth control product.



"Nearly 400 000 condoms have been sold in four months," said PSI's
Andrew Miller, explaining that the project answered a demand for
condoms in Afghanistan.



But because of the cultural context, he said, "we must, however,
adopt a soft approach so as not to offend Afghan sensitivities".



Although no longer bound by the fundamentalist dictates of the
Taliban, Afghan society remains profoundly conservative and sexually
repressive. Sexual relations remains a taboo subject.



Prophylactics first appeared in Afghanistan during the Soviet
invasion of the 1980s. Today they are widely available in most
pharmacies but aren't big sellers - and are always hidden.



Flavoured



The PSI awareness campaign will be suitably modest - the condoms for
sale will not be flavoured, perfumed, textured or labelled "extra
fine".



'Number Ones' will be sold in navy cardboard packs of three with
bright yellow writing devoid of sexual references. Only the "1" of
the 'Number One' name evokes a vague phallic symbol, or so say the
marketers, otherwise the packaging could be that of lollies,
batteries or motor oil.



"It has been a real headache to translate the instructions (inside
the packet) and to design packaging which doesn't shock," said
Emmanuel de Dinechin of Altai Consulting, which advised on the
product.



"Afghans' ignorance about sexuality is abysmal, and the work of
educating them is immense," he added.



And not without cultural barriers. For example, it would be
unthinkable to use a diagram to illustrate how to put on a condom. Or
to directly translate into local languages Dari and Pashto
instructions issued with condoms in Western countries. Some words -
like 'sex' - are simply not acceptable.



"For the publicity campaign, we must use very neutral slogans," said
Miller.



PSI abandoned their initial slogan - "Have a smaller family" - as
unsuitable for a country where a woman is expected to have five or
six babies.



The more vague, "Have a more comfortable life, make your family
Number One", will be used instead.