Unfortunately, menstruation is still a theme surrounded by stigma and misinformation around the globe. Periods are a source of embarrassment and this situation leads to dis-empowering discrimination towards women.
Why the Stigma?
Unfortunately, across cultures, periods have been associated with something dirty and disgusting and women were told that something that’s leaking and seeping from their body is gross. More than this, religions refer to women that are menstruating as being unclean and ask for them to be segregated during their period because of their impurity.
In countries like Iraq, Somalia and Afghanistan young women are often frightened of their first period, not to mention they are considered impure or dangerous and most of the time banned from society. Lack of information and the harmful taboos that are surrounding this subject don’t allow these women to take care of their intimate health properly.
Some of the young girls think that menstruation is something they should be ashamed of and they have to handle it discreetly. All over the world, there are women who hide tampons in their sleeves or on the bottom of their shopping basket because they’re ashamed of this natural process their body is going through.
Even the tampons commercials are encouraging the idea of keeping menstruation private, secret. This shame is harming women’s mental health and affecting the way they are able to accept themselves.
With this approach, no one will ever feel comfortable to talk openly about their periods or the associated symptoms, they won’t be able to accept and feel comfortable with their body and this can have a great impact on their sexuality and their overall health and well-being.
People need to understand and accept that menstruation is something normal and women need to know they can benefit greatly from being aware of the highs and lows of their reproductive cycles. We need to normalise the idea of menstrual cycle and debunk all the period taboos, by educating young girls about puberty and their first menses so they know what’s happening with their body.
Period poverty… still a major problem
All over the world there are lot of women who can’t afford menstrual products.
According to UNICEF stats, in India just 12% of the women can buy tampons, the others are risking all kinds of infections since lack of menstrual hygiene has been linked to high rates of cervical cancer. In India and Africa, 1 in 10 girls doesn’t attend school during menstruation. As a result, many girls get low grades, drop out of school for good or get pregnant at very young ages.
According to a survey made by WaterAid in 2012, 48% of the girls in Iran and 10% of the girls in India believed their menstruation was a disease. UNICEF studies have shown that 66% of the girls in South Asia didn’t know a thing about their period before they get their first menses. In UK girls are also skipping school during their periods and in Australia they are stealing sanitary pads because they can’t afford to buy menstrual products. In Bangladesh, infections caused from contaminated rags are rampant.
Thousands of homeless women face this challenge every month using old socks, clothes, newspaper and even dead leaves to manage their period. This needs to stop!
But how can we fight period poverty?
Opening a dialog about this problem is the first measure we need to take. Taboos and the lack of understanding surrounding menstruation prevent women from reaching their fullest potential. Better education and a good understanding of their body’s processes are key to improving health outcomes for women.
We need to help these girls succeed by giving them all the tools and the information they need to continue their education and live their lives to the fullest. Breaking taboos and creating am open dialogue around menstrual health and comfort, empowering women with high quality menstrual products is a must.
Women need to understand that their vagina matters, the society needs to be more open about the idea of blood coming out of our body parts and the only solution for us is to take action in these directions. Reaching out to all women out there that want to make a difference; refusing to tolerate unacceptable situations like the ones mentioned above.
If we’re not breaking the cycle the entire society will suffer. We need to change this mentality and we can only do it together, empowering each other.
