Clearing the mist: Wiping the Taboos on Menstruation 

We are biological beings and the changes that each one of us undergoes is part of the process. But why do these changes become a shame in the case of women? The menstrual cycle is a natural biological process that occurs every 28 days. The cycle starts mostly at the age of 11 to 14 years and marks the onset of puberty in a girl’s life.

The women in our country are looked down upon due to this process and are restricted from talking about it. Even today menstrual blood is considered “impure” and “dirty”. During this period of seven days, women are not allowed entry in religious places and even restricted in her own house. The most heard myth is that women in her periods are not allowed to prepare food for the family as her touch would make the food degraded. This is the greatest taboo associated with menstruation.

Women in all parts of the country have learned to adjust and cope with society’s understanding of the natural process of menstruation. Should that be an understanding made from her part? The mystifying of truth around menstruation has led to neglecting the health issues of women. In most rural parts of the country women, even today do not enjoy the safety of sanitary pads. They are still bound to use the cloth napkins and endure the irritation and stains. A survey conducted in 2020 throws light on the menstrual hygiene of women in rural areas. The results show that only about 48.2% of women in the age group 15-24 practices menstrual hygiene and opt to use sanitary napkins. The cloth napkins cause allergy, urinary and reproductive tract infections which may affect the women’s health immensely.

In some parts of Africa, the women during menstruation are considered unlucky and demeaning. Zimbabwe, a country with more women ratio than men, believes that women working during these days can bring ill-luck to the work and cause harm to others. These built stories are unbelievable yet convincingly protected in most of the communities. The period of menstruation is considered as a period of the curse for women.

The major issue behind the taboos is the acceptance of the same without hesitance. The girl attaining puberty is not to be considered a shame on her but to be embraced as part of her development. Neglecting her during this period is equivalent to neglecting her rights and opportunities at any stage of her life. The first step is to create a healthy and open environment where women can talk about their health issues without being looked down upon. Let your daughters and sons know that menstruation happens to every woman and that it is not her fault nor a part of her life that she is ashamed of.