A Culturally Sensitive Interactive Digital Narrative to Promote Bodily Awareness Among Afghan Women

This chapter explores the potential of interactive digital narratives (IDNs) to address culturally sensitive topics, such as bodily awareness and emotional well-being, among Afghan women. The study presents the design and evaluation of Rah-e-Noor, a mobile narrative application that uses poetic metaphors, visual symbolism, and narrative engagement to promote bodily literacy and emotional well-being without directly naming taboo topics. The chapter discusses the challenges faced by Afghan women in accessing bodily knowledge and emotional expression due to patriarchal norms and cultural taboos. It also highlights the limitations of current Female Health Applications (FHAs) in addressing these issues, particularly in sociocultural environments where digital access is surveilled. The study investigates how stealth design patterns can discreetly support bodily awareness and emotional self-regulation, using metaphor, symbolic imagery, and non-explicit language to protect users from scrutiny while allowing for reflective, self-guided learning. The chapter concludes that culturally aware, privacy-conscious digital alternatives are urgently needed to account for the realities faced by women in restrictive environments.