Aarshi Sharma
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Written By: Aarshi Sharma | Published : May 28, 2019 8:26 PM IST
In the last couple of years, a lot of actions has been taken to stop period shaming and remove the taboo that surrounds menstruation and educate people about this natural physical phenomenon. ©Shutterstock
Bloody periods! This is what most women think when they go through their periods every month, thanks to complications like abdominal cramps, fatigue, bloating, etc. associated with it. However, in our country, there are other reasons for women to curse menstruation, a natural and essential bodily function that preps them up for pregnancy. In Hindu tradition, the blood that is discharged through vagina during periods is considered to be impure. That s why they are barred from touching pickles and entering temples, rooms dedicated to deities at home, and even kitchens (rare now!) during those days of the month. Add to it the fact that there is still a lot shame and lack of knowledge about this natural female phenomenon. With the aim of addressing all these issues and giving the global community a wake-up call, a Germany-based NGO named WASH United initiated the Menstrual Hygiene Day (MHD) in 2014. The day is observed every year on 28th May. The 2019 theme for MHD is It s Time for Action .
In the last couple of years, a lot of actions has been taken to stop period shaming, which is done shamelessly in India, remove the taboo that surrounds menstruation and educate people about this natural physical phenomenon. Incidentally, Bollywood stars have played an instrumental role in this journey that has seen many positive transformations. Today, stars like Akshay Kumar, Radhika Apte and Manushi Chhillar (Miss World 2017) have supported the Menstrual Hygiene Day campaign through Instagram posts.
As we celebrate Menstrual Hygiene Day today, let s take a look back at some of the significant efforts that have been taken in recent times to change public perception about periods.
CAMPAIGNS AGAINST PERIOD SHAMING
Campaigns like Happy To Bleed, #YesIBleed and the likes have been successful in fighting the sigma attached to menstruation.
In the last 5 years, quite a few campaigns have been launched to fight the stigma attached to menstruation and ensure hygienic practices.
Happy To Bleed: This campaign was launched in 2015 by Nikita Azad, a women s rights activist from Patiala in response to a blasphemous comment made by the chief of Sabarimala temple in Kerala. In a press conference, he had said, A time will come when people will ask if all women should be disallowed from entering the temple throughout the year. These days there are machines that can scan bodies and check for weapons. There will be a day when the machine is invented to scan if it is the 'right time' (not menstruating) for a woman to enter the temple. When that machine is invented, we will talk about letting women inside. Way back in 1991, the Kerala High Court had banned the entry of menstruating women (aged between 10 and 50) in the temple. In 2018, the ban was lifted by a Supreme Court verdict which was followed a quite a few protests. The contribution of the Happy To Bleed campaign is undeniable in this change. It gained immense popularity and support from women of menstruating age. They posted pictures of themselves holding banners and placards, v-cards with catchy slogans and posted on Facebook expressing that they were not ashamed of bleeding.
Rupi Kaur s Instagram post: In 2015, Toronto-based poet Rupi Kaur took to her Instagram account and posted the picture of blood stain on the trousers of a woman lying on bed. This picture was part of her photo series project named Period aimed to depict the reality of menstruation. This post made the headlines when Instagram took it down alleging that it was against community guidelines . The photograph was back on Instagram only after Rupi s post on FB criticizing this incident, went viral. Apart from depicting the realities of a woman s body during menstruation, her project also aimed to highlight the misconceptions and hesitations associated with this natural phenomenon.
#YesIBleed: This campaign was launched by Maneka Gandhi, the Union Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development in 2018. This campaign focussed on educating rural women about menstruation, providing them sanitary napkins and teaching them about hygienic ways to dispose the pads. However, Gandhi stressed on the importance of changing our mindset about menstruation. Actor Divya Dutta and prominent BJP leader Smriti Irani were also part of the campaign. As part of the campaign, the actor strongly recommended that sanitary napkins should be available for free. She also promoted the importance of including menstruation as part of the education.
BOLLYWOOD STARS VS. MENSTRUATION TABOO
Bollywood Like Sonam Kapoor, Twinkle Khanna, Kareena Kapoor and Kalki Koechlin have talked openly about menstruation to change public perception about this natural physical phenomenon.
Many Bollywood stars such as Twinkle Khanna, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Kalki Koechlin, and Sonam Kapoor among others have taken up the cudgels against period shaming. They have shared their views and experiences regarding menstruation on social media to destigmatize it, initiated awareness campaigns and even demanded the withdrawal of 12 per cent GST on sanitary napkins. This demand finally saw GST on pads being waived off.
Twinkle Khanna: In an interview she shared the story of her first period and how she got it in an interview. Twinkle has been quoted saying, I was in the boarding school and there was no one to inform me about the periods. One day while I was in the canteen, I witnessed some stains in my uniform. I discovered that I was having periods. Without wasting time, I ran to my room and changed the clothes. I considered myself lucky as no one saw those stains (sic).
Sonam Kapoor: During the promotion of her film PadMan, she opened up about her experience. She was quoted saying, I was 15 when I got my period, all my friends had got way before me, so I was very upset with that. when I actually got my first period I was very relieved because I kept telling my mom that there is something wrong with me because I am not getting my period (sic).
Kareena Kapoor Khan: A couple of years back she spoke at an event Celebrating Menstrual Hygiene for all Girls, for all Women in Lucknow. There she shared her views on menstruation and highlighted the necessity of talking about the subject in the open and not behind closed doors. She was quoted saying, "God created this, periods are natural. So, how can we say women are impure during their periods? I have a 30 days schedule in a month. We do not stop working but use the right products, keep healthy and clean. Why should others, especially girls, be termed dirty or compelled to miss school (sic)?
Kalki Koechlin: She wrote a poem named 'Girls Ko Satao Tax' (GST and shared it through a YouTube video. Here, Kalki raised a pertinent question: If condoms are tax-free, then why do women need to pay GST for sanitary napkins? This hard hitting poem also touched upon the biases, myths and shame surrounding the use of pads drawing our attention to the fact that shopkeepers still sell sanitary napkins wrapped in papers or polythene bags.
MOVIES AND BOOKS ON MENSTRUATION
The last year saw the release of a couple of movies and books that dealt with the issue of menstruation and the misconception surrounding it.
The year 2018 saw two very significant films and a book that talked about periods, menstruation hygiene and the stigma surrounding this issue.
PadMan: Directed by R.Balki, it is a feature film based on the true story of Mr. Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Tamil Nadu. He is the owner of Jayshree Enterprises in Coimbatore that manufactured low-cost sanitary pads for rural women. In this movie, Akshay Kumar (PadMan), who plays the role of Mr. Muruganantham, decides to make low-priced sanitary napkins for his wife (played by Radhika Apte) first and then for the women of his entire village to reduce their suffering during menstruation. He faces severe criticism and stiff resistance from everyone around him including his wife who abandons him. However, the PadMan remains undaunted and goes on to invent a machine that helps him produce pads at a surprisingly low cost. At the end, his wife and fellow villagers appreciate him for all his efforts
Period. End of Sentence: It is a short Oscar winning documentary directed by Rayka Zehtabchi. This short film is also inspired by Arunachalam Muruganantham s story.It talks about a group of women belonging to Hapur, India who learn to operate the machine used to make low cost sanitary napkins and sell them in affordable prices to empower rural women.
Menstruation Across Cultures: A Historical Perspective: This book, authored by Nithin Sridhar talks about the Sabrimala confusion, highlighting the misconceptions surrounding menstruation. It hits at the roots of prejudices against menstruation while drawing references from the way other religions and cultures look at this natural phenomenon.
