It’s 2022 and periods are still considered as a taboo in India. A menstruating women is considered as impure. Menstruation has always been surrounded my myths and taboos in India. Such taboos about menstruation present in many societies impact on girls’ and women’s emotional state, mentality and lifestyle and most importantly, health.
In India it is almost impossible to even have a normal conversation on the topic of periods and even to this date the cultural and social influences appear to be a hurdle for advancement of knowledge on the subject. Many women are restricted to perform several activities during the time of their periods. In rural areas, some girls are not even allowed to enter the kitchen during the time of menstruation. They are considered un-hygienic and dirty and even the food prepared by them is considered contaminated. They are restricted from offering prayers, entering religious places and reading holy books. Due to poverty, women are unable to afford even a normal pad, leading to the use of dirty clothes which poses a great danger to their health.
Instead of acknowledging the health related issues associated with menstruation, people pay more attention to the myths and try their best to adhere to it. Due to the same reason a large number of girl of rural areas in India drop out of their school as soon as they begin menstruating. The first and foremost strategy in this regard is raising awareness among girls related to menstrual health and hygiene. In India, young girls grow up with limited knowledge about menstruation as their own sisters and mothers shy away from discussing such topics with them. Periods is nothing but a natural and healthy process and it is high time that we break these taboos and normalize talking about it.