I was not afraid when the first drop of my womanhood was spotted. The next morning, I awoke with a newfound joy and went to school. Unfortunately, this is not the case for the vast majority of women. After menarche, one in every five Indian girls drops out of school. The stigmatization and shame culture that contribute to this dropout is mostly the result of a lack of communication and awareness.
In most Indian families, the words for periods are synonymous with separation, untouchability, and impurity. Women are subjected to unnecessary agony as a result of period-related taboos and prejudice, as well as a lack of free discourse.
Menstruation is a natural process, and talking about it should be normalized so that women feel more comfortable discussing their concerns. As a result, adequate menstrual hygiene is maintained, and reproductive health issues that go unrecognized owing to stigma are addressed.
Conversations about periods should be inclusive, with men of all ages participating. Because of the long-standing practice of father-son and mother-daughter dialogues, young girls without female family members find it difficult to overcome the embarrassment and low self-esteem associated with menstruation.
What’s more striking is that this isn’t simply a third-world issue; it’s a global one, despite the fact that menstruating women make up roughly half of the world’s population.
So let’s talk and have a conversation instead of wrapping feminine hygiene products in whispers. Let’s talk about periods so that every young girl in the world has equal access to education and healthy, happy womanhood.