“ MENSTRUATION BLOOD IS THE ONLY BLOOD THAT IS NOT BORN FROM VIOLENCE,
YET IT IS THE ONE THAT DISGUSTS PEOPLE THE MOST”
-MAIA SCHWARTZ
Periods. A word that can make a chaotic room turn silent.
Menstruation or a period is normal vaginal bleeding that occurs to women every month. It commences between 11-14 years along with other hormonal changes. Periods continue till 50-52 years of age.
In hunter-gatherer societies, periods were viewed in positive light but as societies turned from matriarchal to patriarchal and people seeked to subjugate women. An ordinary biological process turned into one of society’s biggest taboos.
This taboo is not ceased by socio-economic barriers, it rather prevails uniformly in almost every household, from teens to adults, from rich to poor, from educated to uneducated. Everyone knows about periods, but to talk about it is more or less seen as a sin by a majority of people. The taboo is ubiquitously present. At homes, schools, workplaces and even at the chemist.
Both of us are fortunate that, when we asked about periods, we were not shunned but educated about periods by both our parents and were told to treat it normally rather than as a process that is forbidden to talk about.
Five years ago, when my classmate got her period in 5th standard, I saw a grim expression on her face. Five years later, in a bigger city and in the best school of the city the situation is the same with my classmates. Now, what causes this situation? The lack of education about periods, social stigma, people not being ready to talk about it. The fact that women are seen as unequal in the society and periods are related to them, made people talk less about periods or not make an effort in ending the stigma around it.
The stigma around menstruation rises from misogyny. A menstruating woman is often seen as ‘impure’ and ‘unclean’ and menstruation is seen as a shameful thing which strengthens the belief that periods are something that should not be talked about. Women are isolated from their home and cannot enter the kitchen in many parts of India.
One solution to this is making everyone a part of the solution, men in a family should also know about periods. Teenage boys should also be told about menstruation so that the next time they know someone is going through periods. They should support her rather than passing mean comments.
Our few experiences with the stigma around periods :
- When we were in 7th standard, our classmate got her period and was so ashamed to ask for a pad that waited for the whole class to be vacated during recess so that she could get a pad.
- My classmate in 8th standard, could not throw her pad in the dustbin across the hall because her father was sitting in the hall.
- I got my period in school and I asked a classmate for a pad, till today I cannot forget the look on her face.
- Once my classmate asked for a pad and I gave it to her but she got angry because I handed it to her directly rather than slipping it into her bag.
- Once I went to buy pads and the shopkeeper handed me the pads in a ‘Black Polythene’ so secretively as if I asked for drugs.
The misinformation around periods and inadequate education around hygiene lead to the reinforcement of the stigma and act as barriers towards menstrual equity. Period poverty is often described as a lack of access to menstrual education and sanitary products. As many as 23 million girls drop out of school in India in the year they start menstruating due to lack of access to menstrual products. Only 36 percent women in India use sanitary napkins. Most of the women still use clothes, leaves and even dung cakes. An average Indian woman spends 300 rupees on menstrual products per month. At the chemist’s sanitary pads are always given in a ‘ Black Polythene’, WHY?
Ads about periods are synonymous to showing blood as blue. They might do it in the name of propriety but it only props up the ignorance and negative assumptions about periods.
While menstruation is a part of the sex education curicullum in India, it is barely taught in schools. We should include everyone in the conversation. Workshops should be held on periods so that everyone knows about it. This will end the stigma and help us achieve menstrual equity.
Even after major changes in advertising and a mainstream bollywood film and a short film on periods winning an Oscar, it still remains a taboo.
Periods are normal. Acknowledge and discuss it. Include everyone in the conversation. End the stigma. Make the world a better place.
Research Courtesy :
The Borgen Project
Feminism in India
NDTV
The Thinking Twins 