Across the Red Threshold: Rethinking Menstruation to Reconstruct Mentality
Menstruation acts as a catalyst in the process of transforming a young girl into a mature woman. Menarche is the most crucial phase of a girl's life which is a gesture in itself that she is no longer a girl now. One could object to the exaggeration of periods for we think we've normalised this very sensitive topic. The sanitary pads are available at any nearby shops now. Had the periods been really a friendly topic in India, we would have stopped using newspapers and black polythene for wrapping the sanitary pads. A girl menstruates on an average for five days a month, 12 months a year, and the cycle carries on till she reaches menopause in 30–40 years.The statistics are stark and dismal: 88% of girls and women who menstruate use unsafe materials; 66% of girls are unaware of menstruation before their first period; 70% mothers think periods are dirty; 66% girls and women manage periods without toilets. Only 0.3% of women in India aged 15–24 use reusable period products, i.e., menstrual cups. In contrast, 77% of them use disposable period products i.e., sanitary napkins and tampons.
I can myself assure the authenticity of the above data. When I got my first period at the age of 12, barely had I used the sanitary pads. A little did I know about what the periods are and how they work. Being raised up in a nuclear family and having both the parents working, I had to go through it all alone. I used to have a menstrual cycle of 20 days with a heavy bleeding. There are many girls in my acquaintance who have gone through this at an early age. Moreover while we expect the girls to get periods in their early teens, they are now starting periods as early as 8. The young girls in rural or town areas are not provided with the basic sanitation facilities. There are many girls out there who still opt for clothes to avoid the blood stains for they can't even afford to purchase the sanitary pads per month. They often ignore the symptoms of menstrual disorders and are vulnerable to infections. Hailing from a small town of eastern Maharashtra, I myself have never ever thought of using menstrual cups or tampons. The first time I came across such alternatives of sanitary pads was only when I'd been to Delhi. However, back there in my town, girls don't even think of using menstrual cups and tampons for they are afraid of losing their virginity by doing so.
Coming to social conditioning, the situation is even worse. There are a number of existing myths about periods which lack the logical base and are ridiculous. Girls are looked upon as impure while menstruating. They are prohibited in the sacred places and kitchen. The plants will die if a girl on periods goes near them. Foods like curd, tamarind and pickles disturb the menstrual flow and the list is never ending. The conservative minds in society should wake up to reality. It's terrible to learn that these misconceptions are perpetuated by the older women in the families. I believe that any civilization, any society is a dynamic social structure which needs to mould itself according to the changing times.
Festivals are the core of Indian civilization. Menstruation celebration can be one of the most beautiful ways to normalise periods in our society. This concept is not something which is new to Indians still most of us have never practised it. The festival in Odisha is called Raja Parba or Mithuna Sankranti. It is a four-day festival which celebrates the girl's transition into womanhood. The first-day is called Pahili Raja, second Mithuna Sankranti, third Basi Raja and the last day is called Basumati Snana. It is believed that Goddess Earth also menstruates during the first three days of the festival. Prior to the day of the celebration, called Sajabaja , entire house is cleaned and on the first three days of the festival the spices are ground on the grinding stone. While all the preparation is going on, women enjoy during the festival and wear new clothes, jewellery and put alta (a red/pink coloured liquid applied on feet and hands) on their feet. On the last day of the festival, women go to the grinding stone and bathe in turmeric. In Assam, the menstruation celebration is called Toloni Biya. Toloni Biya is a ceremonial symbolic wedding of the girl after her first periods. This ceremony (symbolic wedding) is celebrated with great enthusiasm, and the purpose of this celebration is to educate the girl about reproduction and menstrual cycle. The parents of the girl and neighbours pray for the well-being of her reproductive health. Ritusuddhi, also called Ritu Kala Samskara, is the coming of age ceremony for girls, after menarche or first menstruation or simply, first period. This milestone in a girl's life is observed by her family and friends, with gifts and her wearing a sari for the ritual.
The government authorities and NGOs should roll up their sleeves to carry out the awareness campaigns in both the public and private schools. The initiatives should include granting subsidies for sanitary napkins especially for those girls who are financially weak. More emphasis should be given on the efficient distribution of sanitary napkins to the beneficiaries. This year, Karnataka Government re-started the Shuchi scheme for menstrual hygiene by supplying sanitary napkins to around 19 lakh adolescent girls at the school and college levels. Nowadays, Social media is playing an outstanding role to educate the young minds (both boys and girls) about periods. Recently a period song has been released in the mesmerising voice of Shreya Ghoshal. This can be a good example of educating through entertainment. We need more content like this in order to make the girl's lives easier.
We are still way behind the world to give a conducive environment for our adolescent girls. It's our responsibility to help them reach their full potential. Being a student myself, whenever I misinterpret any topic I just go back and revise it. It seems so simple but this is the same thing we need to do right now. We need to rethink menstruation in order to reconstruct our own mentality. Let's move from stressful periods towards Happy Bleeding!!!
~Maithili Siddharth
(Content Associate )
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