Menstruation: Monthly visitor of your body. But no matter how often the visitor visits, menstruation remains a global issue.
Menstruation is something mostly associated with those who are AFAB (assigned female at birth). However, taboos and myths exclude women from many aspects of social and cultural life. In India, the title has been illegal until now. Such menopause tabs available in many societies impact the emotional state of girls and women, thinking and lifestyle and most importantly, health.
The challenge of dealing with social and cultural norms and beliefs about menstruation is also linked to lower levels of knowledge of young girls and an understanding of puberty, menstruation and reproductive health. Therefore, there is a need to follow a strategic approach to combating these problems.
The cultural and religious practices of menstruation are often associated with traditional associations with the evil spirits, shame and embarrassment surrounding sexual reproduction. In some cultures, women bury their outer garments to prevent them from being used by evil spirits. It is also believed that a woman can use her menstrual blood to force her will on a man.
Therefore, the unfriendly culture and infrastructure of the school and the lack of adequate protection measures for menstruation and clean, safe and private sanitation facilities for women and girls undermines their right to privacy.
Can A Taboo Be Stopped?
Menstruation is far ahead of the language. Our lives as the first converts focused on survival, birth, and nature’s functioning: birth, death, sex and hunting. These elements were the backbone of shaping the language, not the other side. And it is here that human scientists do their research into menstruation: crossroads, morality and biology.
But while the unwelcome menstrual taboos are almost universal, there are exceptions, and the taboos themselves vary. Some communities work with good menstrual organisations and adjectives. Some modern hunter-gatherer communities, for example, hold to the understanding that menstruation is powerful, healing, protective and sacred. These groups are also more likely to have a level of gender equality.
In India, even mention of the subject is a source of sadness to this day. Cultural and social influences seem to be an obstacle to the progress of knowledge on the subject. Traditionally in most parts of India, menstruation is still considered unclean and impure.
Spreading Awareness To Get Rid Of Unpleasant Beliefs
Empowering women through education and increasing their role in decision-making can also help in this regard. Women and girls are often excluded from decision-making because of their low literacy rates. Raising the status of women’s education plays an important role in improving society’s quality of life as a whole and overcoming cultural practices, in particular.
The provision of clean napkins and adequate sanitation and washing facilities should be made available through sexual orientation.
It is, therefore, clear that a variety of sectoral approaches are needed. We need to link tangible infrastructure with sanitation projects, health, education, reproductive health systems and holistically address this problem. Menstruation is nothing but a very common biological condition and girls and young women should understand that they are capable of reproducing only because of this beauty.
The beauty of menstruation and monthly bleed is far from the mentality of people who consider it taboo. When a girl gets her first period, everybody tends to celebrate. How is it possible that you are celebrating your impure ideology? Consequently, menstruation is something that we need to share with pride and procurement.
“You bleed with pride; I bleed with pride.”