In Indian society, particularly in North India, menstruation is a taboo! It’s a shackle that confines every girl on puberty. Periods are hidden, hated, shamed, and rarely talked about in a common household. Besides, Mom or other women of family start stopping young girls from doing lots of things without telling them a solid reason.
But, the time has changed! It’s time to make young girls aware of the biological process that makes them “center of creation”. It’s time to spread menstrual hygiene programs in schools and villages. This Menstrual Hygiene Day, let’s talk about actions that are required to break the taboo of menstruation in Indian society.
Taboos Need to be Broken
Girls are fed up hearing “Don’t go to the kitchen”, “don’t touch pickles”, and “stay away from the temple”. Such instructions of a mother or grandmother leave an impact on child’s psychology that “why is she a girl?” Most girls are still in process to understand their puberty. Instead, girls should be taught to handle this naturally process. They should also be taught about menstrual hygiene. Now, girls and women are coming forward to make other folks in the community aware. However, a door-to-door campaign is required to talk girls.
Social Media Giving Together
Female community is fed up seeing the silence of menstruation on the land of ‘Goddesses”. When 2019 Oscars were given to “Period-and off Sentence” movie filmed on deep-rooted stigma on menstruation, it was not much talked about in Indian media. India is still a country where women are demanding right to basic healthcare and menstrual hygiene. There is no provision of separate toilets in trains, pad vending machines, or other such basic access for women to deal with their menstrual process. Some social media campaigns like ‘Period Positive’, ‘Happy to Bleed’, and ‘Im Not Down’, girls are giving message that the period is not a symbol of weakness or worth hiding. But, more efforts are required. Nirog India is organizing a mass campaign to educate young girls in schools about menstrual hygiene.
Education, an Essential Part of Spreading Awareness
Most girls and women do not know about menstrual health. So, they do not know the harm. How can they expect a change in the situation? A chapter should be added in basic science books along with reproduction about menstrual hygiene. We can create awareness among women by grouping and informing them of menstruation, especially in rural areas. For this, trained teachers and sensitive volunteers are required. Better information and education can empower girls to find out the best ways, get psychologically prepared for periods, and take care of their reproductive health in right way.
Self-Esteem is Teaching to Live
Women are over-regulated in India. Self esteem associated with reproductive system has to be taken care of in Indian society and education system. Carrying indiscriminate restrictions and shaming periods is not sign of a mature civilized society. Some organizations ‘True Saheli’, are trying to wipe out the taboo. A lot has changed over time. However, a lot has to be done. Every now and then, incidents keep popping up in newspapers and media about taboos related to menstruation. From entry of women in Sabrimala to everyday struggle of young girls in schools to deal with their periods is never talked about frankly. The time has come to take the discourse on women’s most important reproductive health.
Menstrual Hygiene Day- Time Needed
Menstrual Hygiene Day is celebrated all over the world on May 28. In 2014, an NGO named ‘Wash United’ in Germany started celebrating the day. The main objective is to make girls and women aware to maintain hygiene during menstruation. The date 28 symbolizes the menstrual cycle of women’s menstruation which usually start every 28 days. Today, there is a need to start a conversation among women of household first. Then, it would automatically reach the society. Society needs to be more open up to talk about the matter. Talking about the periods through Menstrual Hygiene Day will remove the fear of periods from psychology of young girls.
India is a country where about 71 per cent of girls do not know what menstruation is; a country where about 50 per cent of girls drop out of school due to menstruation; Menstrual Hygiene Day has special significance. To make women free and self-reliant, we need to break misconceptions about natural process. Let’s make some noise to break the silence about periods. A daughter has to be assured that you are not committing any crime while revealing about your menstrual cycle. It will also lighten the burden of reproductive diseases in India.
