Menstruation, or periods, is the regular discharge of blood. A taboo is a strong social prohibition or ban relating to any area of human activity that is sacred and forbidden, based on moral judgment and sometimes even religious beliefs. Breaking the taboo is usually considered displeasing by society. Menstrual taboo is one such widespread social taboo.
Remember how in schools, girls had a separate session on menstruation, I think that is the first time someone taught us to never talk about it with boys. Segregating boys and girls during sex education sessions contributes to a culture in which periods are seen as taboo to never talk about with men, or in public at all.
35 crore women suffer in silence
45% women are ashamed by taboo
23% girls quits school forever
6% girls have never heard of sanitary pad
7 in 10 women have never talked about periods with their partners
1 in 4 women feel uncomfortable buying sanitary napkin or tampons
3 in 5 think their school’s sexual education class did not sufficiently prepared them for their periods
Talking about menstruation is important because it helps to take down the shame and misinformation that has been around for thousands of years. Due to lack of proper information about menstrual hygiene and taboo, millions of girls are forced to drop out of schools, married off at an early age, unable to join the workforce and become very conscious, leading them to loathe their bodies.
Nearly 70 female students in Gujarat were pressured to remove their undergarments by their principal to prove that they were not menstruating. In the era of women empowerment and smashing patriarchy this is what we deserve? Women's deserve to be treated with dignity and not be treated as impure and dirty while menstruating.
Earlier the society celebrated women’s bizarre bodies and now have started punishing them for their ability to further human existence. There exists a very odd disagreement in the way society looks at menstruating women. It is disgusting to believe that even today, women are not allowed to go to the temples, touch holy books, enter the kitchen, touch a jar of pickles or curd, not allowed to sleep on the bed, and whatnot. Even in 21st century India, in the age of modernization, globalization, digitization, We have unfortunately not been able to change our mindsets and we are still dragging the old-age beliefs and misconceptions which have led to the built up of guilt, shame and low self esteem which makes women’s feel inferior. Isolation of the menstruating women and restrictions imposed on them by the family have reinforced negative attitude towards this phenomenon. The shame and taboo often lead to discrimination of girls and women's. There are health and hygiene issues also to consider relating to girls and menstruation, the fact that girl’s knowledge levels and understandings of menstruation, and reproductive health are very low. Thus, there is no denying the fact that patriarchy usually succeeds in regulating the conservative perception towards menstruation.
Menstrual taboo is hampering the development of women.
The best way to change the minds of future women is to educate girls.
Health/sex education should be made compulsory at school level with special emphasis on menstruation and related taboos.
NGOs should be encouraged by the government to come forward and join hands in the eradication of this widespread social taboo.