PERIOD: Let's Begin The Sentence.

Menstruation, the flow which ensures the flow of life, is one the topic that most are hesitant to talk about. The taboo has existed since forever and has continued to exist in most parts of the society even now. The creation of a menstrual taboo took place independently and repeatedly across different societies and geographies. Analogies are used to serve the purpose by giving us words to talk about things that are considered culturally wrong, which happens in this case as well. This narrative crafted has had severe impacts on the mindset of men and overall well-being of women. The impact of typical menstrual taboos is clear: they can lead to significant challenges in menstrual management, adverse reproductive health outcomes, social ostracism, diseases, and even death.

This creates the dire need to bring a change in the thought process. 

So, on behalf of CRY-Child Rights and You, campus volunteers from Miranda House College went to one of  our projects in Jahangirpuri on 17th February, to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene to the teenage girls there. One of the primary objective was to marginally normalize the 'much-shushed period talk' that has been inherently crafted by our society since generations. Volunteers went there, prepared to address the supposedly shying away girls. But to their surprise, they were welcomed by more than 25 girls, aged between 10 and 19. Still, to tackle the reluctance in the eyes of some, they started with a round of introduction and then session started, which covered explanation regarding meaning & importance of menstruation, need of maintaining proper hygiene and importance of healthy diet. Many of them were aware of the do's and don't's which are to be taken into consideration during the period days. They were asked about their reaction when they started having periods for the first time. And smashing the preconceived idea of them being shy, they shared their experiences & the complications they face while menstruating, how they're not permitted to talk it out loud inside their homes and the restrictions imposed during those 5 days.

Volunteers gave them information and they shared some experiences in return, and that's how it became more of a discussion than a lecture. After the verbal description, the session was made more interactive and interesting by showing them videos about menstruation and asking them questions.

 "I have been working with these children for months and I was surprised to see the interest girls showed for the session. Some of them knew about it, while others were curious to know about the topic", said a volunteer. 

The girls who, initially, were hesitant, began to join in the conversation freely and that serves the purpose. 

It’s clear that the way people talk about menstruation is slow to change because of how deeply menstrual taboos are ingrained in our cultures, beliefs, and histories. The civilisations which give us our understanding of our bodies were formed around these taboos. Removing such taboos requires the systems to change, and sessions like this are the changing steps; and the response shown by those girls was nothing, but the brightest ray of hope. The increasing efforts worldwide, to empower, educate, and engage country leaders, communities, families, and adolescent girls and boys about menstruation, and to highlight the right of women and girls to hygienically manage their periods, are  fresh breath of air. 

We may never know how, exactly, menstrual taboos were established, but what we do know is how to eradicate them. And together, slowly and steadily, we would attain our objectives.

- Kritika Yadav

CRY Volunteer