Ending Menstruation Stigma: Individual Responsibility | Written by Sabi Thapa [Offline Thinker]

Menstruation Stigma

Why are we still following practices that label women as impure, untouchable, and have restrictions on daily activities?

We live in a richly diverse community; our devotion to following our cultural practices is praiseworthy. However, the issue lies in our blind faith in giving continuity to the ill practices; most of us clueless about why we are following them.

Do you consider those practices rational? Are they worth advocating?

I don’t because I prefer to believe in science over baseless cultural beliefs.

Not long ago, I was also one to perform those rituals during my menstruation. I avoided entering the kitchen, touching or consuming certain foods, staying away from sunlight, and many others because everyone said so. Many of my friends were also following them so, I thought that was normal.

But, later HPE classes revealed the secret; the truth actually. I learned that menstruation is a biological process and it is our body’s way of releasing tissue that it no longer needs; not because we are impure or dirty.

A question crossed my mind, “Then, why are we chained to those rituals?”

We continue them only because our parents did it, their parents did it, and so on.

Menstruation is a shared experience among females; we know what it is like to get a period and many females experience the same symptoms. And males, they are clueless, only adding mystery to the stigma resulting in period-shaming and awkward conversations.

Apparently, it seems that menstruation is a gender-based problem but it is not. Males have equal responsibility as much as females in eradicating the period stigma. Everyone has a role to play.

What can we do as an individual to end the stigma?

Here are a few things we can do:

1. Start having open conversations about menstruation with our family and friends

2. Share experience as well as become aware to bust the myths

3. Take the topic seriously and be aware of health issues

4. Be vocal about your pain and needs

5. Include men in sexual reproductive health classes

6. Provide help and support if you see a girl in pain or in a dilemma

7. Empathize and ensure a comfortable school or work environment

8. Communicate and learn from each other. Work on removing the elephant in the room

9. Question your elders on why such rituals should be continued. Reason with them

10. Bring your awareness to action

Our government and many organizations are constantly working on eradicating the stigma. From Chhaupadi Pratha (seclusion) getting global attention and criminalized in 2017 to social activists advocating and working to improve menstrual hygiene management, their works and efforts are commendable. However, at an individual level, we are lagging behind.

In my case too, the classes were useful only to educate us, to make us aware. The challenge lay in taking action; to convince my parents to stop following the existing rituals.

No doubt, many of us still follow the superstitious rituals in our home during menstruation.

Menstruation has been stigmatized so much so that the ill practices are ingrained in our society; and until we start bringing change from our home, it will not end anytime soon. So, regardless of gender, it is our individual responsibility to undo the blindfold and break free of the chains.

Are we playing our part as an individual?

Well, I am. I am proud to say that I have successfully convinced my parents to stop following the rituals.

Are you doing your part?

Photo credit: Tony Rojas, Unsplash

You May Also Like:

Part of me | Poem by Sabi Thapa [Offline Thinker]

Follow Offline Thinker on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. You can send us your writings at connect.offlinethinker@gmail.com