Here is a scribble of words that I wrote to express the pain of my sisters and every female who is struggling with their period because of the lockdown.
My mind gets the situation, what about my body wants?
Your Lockdown is essential, but my sanitary pads aren’t?
“Thaali Bajaana” may work like a good-luck charm for you,
But it won’t wash the blood off my body, so will you?
Deserted shops and Curfew won’t stop my red flow,
Is there any hibernation to where my uterus can go?
Pain is thrashing my abdomen like a cranky child,
I would have calmed myself if the situation was mild.
But immobility has bounded me in a body confine
Where I am at home but still not feeling “mine”.
It’s like standing in a lost battle where I am actually down,
Yet standing for a tough fight. My heart engulfs in a frown.
This unending lockdown has surely taken a toll on all of our mental health and social life, but it has proven to be a double whammy to our girls and women who are in their menstruating ages. With the closures of shops and restrictions over movement, sanitary pads have become a kind of much-needed luxury. The government may have forgotten about their daughters and focusing on providing food essentials only, but what about the periods?
Shouldn’t the authorities be concerned about ensuring an adequate supply of menstruation products at our doorsteps?
I waited almost 18 days of lockdown to write on this topic because I really had hope that some will raise the voice, and our government will wake up. But I was a fool. (I simply say that lockdown has been the righteous step for the country’s future but the disregard towards women’s plight in the crucial decision like this has been again conspicuous.)
It’s really bizarre to see that our media, with most of its workers being women, is also focusing on the hardships of only the migrants. There has been no talk of all those women who have been doing their bit to make this lockdown a success and still going through bad period pain. I am sure, if media had raised this issue, it might have knocked the ears of our authorities also. But who cares about women, let alone their period issues!
So, I hope to reach out to the majority of my sisters and share this pain they are going through. If anyone of concerned authorities is able to reach my words, I plead you to take a step in this direction too.