Today is World Menstrual Hygiene Day. Thus, a day to reflect upon for half of the world’s population.
No! Scratch that. Allow this humble writer to rephrase the opening line. Today is World Menstrual Hygiene Day, and it is a day for all us menstruators and non-menstruators to reflect upon the nature of the subject.
Need for this day
Main questions to be asked –
- Why was such a day needed in the first place?
- Why at all we need to discuss something that naturally happens to every other person?
The reason is simple. Reading the title of my blog, half of the audience would have already skipped this piece thinking that it is of no concern to them. After all, to these people, it is merely a — “lady’s issue”. Something to be “whisper”ed about by girls and hushed up by elderly women. Only the urban and elite have the privilege to talk about it in open. As an exaggeration of the status quo, most men even go to the extent of not even acknowledging this biological process.
How bad is the situation?
Photo by Monika Kozub on Unsplash
Better than before, but still bad.
The majority of girls have no knowledge or acceptance of their changing teenage bodies when they get their 1st period. Nothing even prepares them for the onslaught on their undergarments. As a result, most girls never understand the importance of good period management.
Remember that girl during your childhood, who thought she was dying of cancer after getting her first chums? It may seem funny, but make no mistake! Such ignorance has given rise to 2 major evils in our society – Period Stigma & Period Poverty.
Just for the sake of argument
Many would still argue that everything is fine as it is. Why change?
Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels
Folks, if you think that everything is hunky and dory while a woman bleeds in our society, let me ask you these questions.
1. Have you ever heard that a woman should not enter temples while menstruating?
God made us bleed na!
2. Why do pad companies show ink instead of blood?
Our blood is most certainly red. We only bleed blue, when it comes to supporting the Indian cricket team.
3. Why do most schools not consider educating both boys & girls about menstruation?
Because of which girls suffer the shame, while boys snicker at them.
4. Several families treat their menstruating women as untouchables. Why?
They believe they will fall sick if they come in contact with her.
5. A pickle will go bad if a girl on periods touches it. Ever heard this statement?
Have you witnessed this witchcraft, please tell? Very curious.
6. Does food really get contaminated when it comes in contact with a girl on periods?
Contaminated with what – bacteria, germs or a new variant of virus?
7. Why do rural women still use sand, cow dung, ashes etc to soak their period blood?
That’s plain sad.
8. Why does a chemist wrap sanitary napkin as if they are illegal goods?
It is just a pad after all. Every girl bleeds.
9. How many men are comfortable buying sanitary napkins for girls/women in their family?
Again it is only a pad.
10. Why do godmen preach against the evils of a menstruating woman’s touch?
And this, my friends, is a concern.
In Conclusion
These are just 10 questions that I have put on here. Trust me, there is a whole bleeding list of things that are problematic when it comes to periods.
It is especially problematic seeing that we all come into this beautiful world covered in this same blood that we abhor so much later on. Think about it, talk more and help each other on the subject — no matter which gender you belong to.
#MHDay2021 #ItsTimeForAction #MenstrualHygieneDay #28May