Menstruation has a long history of taboo across all cultures. As soon as puberty hits, women are taught to not be vocal about their periods. They are told to put a silent tap about periods in front of men. It is then men who remain clueless on knowledge of menstruation.
If it is a saying that learning starts from home, then yes, boys should be told about the unfiltered meaning of menstruation by their family members.
If learning is imparted in schools, the teachers should not shy about teaching the reproductive system to all genders under the same roof.
If schools display non-discriminatory ethics, then both boys and girls should be educated about menstruation.
“Even though I was uncomfortable with the thought of menstruation when I first learned about it, interactions with people both at home and outside helped me overcome it,” said Koustuv Saha, a research scholar from Mumbai.
Men who have taken the initiatives
When it comes to women’s issues we have seen women supporting other women. But there are some men in India who are not just fighting the period stereotype but also trying to improve their menstrual hygiene.
- Anshu Gupta: Is a founder of Delhi based company Goonj. He is the mind behind the initiative called “not just a piece of cloth ”. He says that he aims to break the social taboo around menstruation. In Goonj, they collect cloth from urban donors and make pads from them. This initiative is a step for improving the lives of women in rural areas.
They have built an effective strategy to cater to the issue of menstruation through 3A’s- Access, Awareness, and Affordability. - Dhirendra Pratap Singh and Ameet Mehta: Co-founders of the organization Azadi, build a menstruation-friendly school in Uttar Pradesh. It’s a common statement we have come across zillion times that teenage girls are often unable to complete their education in India. To this date even, many schools lack the basic infrastructure required by menstruating girls.
These men at Azadi, support the government in building schools with adequate infrastructure and separate toilets for women. Singh says, “We don’t look into menstruation as a man or a woman issue, because gender is socially constructed. So men and women both have an equal role to play in changing the overall perception”.
- Tuhin Paul: Is one of the authors and illustrators of Menstrupedia Comic. He is a social entrepreneur and co-founder at Menstrupedia. Menstrupedia comic is one of the books that has rightly described the process of menstruation. Both boys and girls can go through the content easily. The comic is present in various Indian dialects.
Niraj Gera - Niraj Gera: An international acclaimed award-winning photographer and a social reformer envisage of creating awareness among women and men on menstrual health and hygiene. Through his foundation Humanify Foundation, they want to express their voice for making appropriate national policy on menstruation.
- Jinoj K:The CEO of Wager India and founder of Center for Hygiene Research and Development began his quest to work on menstruation health at a young age of 24. Under the project Ritu, he invented a portable vending machine specifically for government schools.
Under his leadership, a napkin incinerator which ensured zero bacterial release from used pads was also designed.
He shared his dream as “Make menstruation a family room discussion. Discuss openly with your sons and daughters as it is as normal and holy as pregnancy and motherhood itself.” - Afzal Shaikh: A mind that is involved in producing machines for churning sanitary napkins. As of now, in 28 states the machine has been installed. He is optimistic about the impact his innovation is bringing in the lives of women. He states “We are involved in spreading awareness about menstruation and doing away with the societal taboos. Several NGOs, even students from IITs have been roped in for this outreach programme that has spread far and wide”
Men taking lead against menstruation as taboo
In 2019, around 120 bike riders participated in “Men Take Lead Ride” in Bengaluru. They came together on the occasion of menstrual hygiene day, May 28th. The theme represented was to address the issue of isolation and untouchability around menstruation.
Chris Bobel, Professor at the University of Massachusetts Boston, USA, has written about ‘Men Take Lead Ride’ in her book ‘The Managed Body: Developing Girls and Menstrual Health in the Global South’. She refers to the event as a “solution demonstration of a new kind of leadership that will address women’s issues.
It was one such rally to cater to people in one city. Let’s ponder on thought wouldn’t it be nice if such events occur in various parts of the country to sensitize young and old on menstruation?