Periods. Statistically speaking, half the people reading this have them (don’t fact check me on this one, please). Even though my previous statement might not be one hundred percent factually correct, a large part of the population has first hand experience with menstruation. Still, the mentioning of menstruation and all things related (I’m thinking about sanitary pads, menstrual cups, tampons, stained clothes etcetera.) is uncomfortable for many and it is considered a private issue. Growing up in Sweden, I was fully aware that I one day would get my period and I was in some ways looking forward to it, thinking that would be that I was a proper grown-up then. That of course changed as soon as I got my period and the anticipation transformed in to a feeling of injustice and having been wronged in some way. And don’t get me started on the uncomfortable pads and the fear of staining my pants and the following (mainly imagined) public ridicule. But in some societies of the world menstruation is much more than just a slight inconvenience, and painful monthly cramps. It is a taboo and women are considered as unpure while menstruating. I want to use India as an example, the reason for this is simple, for a couple of years India was my home and it was there I realized that the menstruation taboo is real.
“The menstruation taboo in India is deeply rooted in cultural and religious traditions.”
I want to make one thing clear before I continue, India is an enormous country (more like a continent of its own) with a population closer to 1,4 billions and it is not possible to tell ONE singular story about the great nation. But this is one story about India, a country a hold very dear to my heart. The menstruation taboo in India is deeply rooted in cultural and religious traditions. In Hindu Vedic scriptures the monthly menstruation flow is described as a burden that women took upon themselves to redeem the guilt of Indras slaying of Vritras. Women are banned from visiting temples and other sites of worship while on their period. Menstruation is so intertwined with the conception of impurity that many girls and women are restricted from living their day to day lives, not being allowed to enter the kitchen or carrying out their day to day chores. In some cases they are even hindered from sleeping inside in the house with the rest of the family.
“70 percent of girls did not know about menstruation until menarche”
A study¹ from 2014 made by the NGO Dasra, showed that 70 percent of girls did not know about menstruation until menarche. One can only imagine the trauma of finding out about menstruation that way. The study also revealed that each year, 23 million girls and young women drop out of school, in part due to the lack of sanitary pads but also due to the fact that schools in remote and rural areas often don’t have functioning toilets or sanitary pad dispensers. In addition, there is the shame connected to menstruation keeping them from going back to school. I believe that the menstruation taboo is one of many expressions of patriarchal structures and misogyny. But grassroots and local actors all over India are working to raise awareness, rid the stigma of menstruation and better the conditions for women and girls in India with the help of ICT. Here are some of the initiatives:
Menstrupedia – Initiated by Aditi Gupta, is an online platform for girls and young women guiding them through the facts and fictions about menstruation. They make informative and entertaining content in different media to break the taboo on menstruation. Their most noticed contribution so far is a menstruation comic directed at young girls. https://www.menstrupedia.com/
An inspiring TedX talk by the Menstrupedia founder Aditi Gupta
#Happytobleed – The campaign was launched in 2015 by the young student Nikita Azad prompting women to post photos of themselves holding signs with the #happytobleed hashtag. It was a direct response to the misogynic statements made by a religious representative of the Sabrimala Temple in Kerala. The Devaswom chief had said that the temple would not allow women between the ages 10 – 50 years to enter before there is a machine that can determine whether or not they are menstruating. In 2018 the Supreme court overturned the ban on women in the temple which was followed by massive protests.
Men 4 Menstruation – is a digital campaign launched by the Motive8 Trust, a group of Indian men, to end the taboo of menstruation and to ensure that people who menstruate have access to menstrual hygiene products. They work to raise awareness about menstruation and as they phrase it “instill sense of dignity and confidence in menstruators. Across the state of Jharkand they have been setting up Menstrual Hygiene Management Libraries in schools consisting of boxes with educational material, the above mentioned menstrual comic and biodegradable menstrual products.
Here you can find the Men 4 Menstruation Instagram The initiatives mentioned here are only a handful of the many inspiring initiatives to break the silence on menstruation and end the taboo in India. The reason I find these particularly inspiring is that they are all initiated by local Indian grassroots and they are examples of how you can accomplish a lot with relatively small means and some ICT savviness. I hope you find them as inspiring and hopeful as I do.
References ¹ https://swachhindia.ndtv.com/23-million-women-drop-out-of-school-every-year-when-they-start-menstruating-in-india-17838/