What do you think should be the legitimate age for a girl to know about menstruation? What should be the necessary changes that must take place in a girl’s life after she starts menstruation? What is the social and physiological state of awareness when it comes to menstruation in India?
The answers might be blurry. Aren’t they? Well, when it comes to periods, different people have their own distinct opinion. While some think menstruating women to be impure, some people simply don’t have the luxury to provide menstruating girls with products such as an organic menstrual cup. To make things clear, let’s have a look at Sufina’s experience with menstruation.
The story goes like this…
I got my period when I was 14. I practically knew nothing about what menses are or what we are supposed to do when we ideally bleed from our intimate areas. I belong from a rural area where we had no other option than to go to a government school. I rushed to my teacher, and I was terrorized by what I saw and how I felt.
Thankfully she called my mother, and she made me understand everything. She told me how it’s normal for a girl to have periods every month. I was fine and I was excited that I was finally “becoming a woman.” But, after a week I came to know that I will have to quit school. I have to leave my friends, teachers and everything behind. Why? Because apparently, I have become a woman.
I never joined a school after that. After a year or two, my mother insisted that I should be homeschooled. To join college, I had to ace my studies and work 10 times harder than my brothers and male cousins. We were told that education is a luxury for women.
I still believe that it all started when my periods started. Now I run menstrual awareness webinars that emphasize how to use a menstrual cup for beginners, why menstrual awareness is essential, how literacy and menstruation and interlinked, etc. But, still, my heart aches thinking about all those girls who have to drop out of school because of their periods.
The Answer
We would say: women must be educated about menstrual health as early as possible. They must be aware of their bodies. There must be no need to swarm the search engines with queries about how to use a menstrual cup for beginners. Organic menstrual cups shouldn’t be a luxury; they are a necessity.
The social and physiological state of menstruation is still interlinked with stereotypes that exist since time immemorial. This shouldn’t be the case. Where women are viewed from the progressive focal point, why should menstruation be considered different? Just like any other bodily phenomenon, menstruation is normal, and it should be treated likewise.
About Shecup
Shecup is a Social Enterprise working in the healthcare space. We conduct health and environment awareness programs and promote concepts that are not only health-friendly but are also environmentally sustainable.
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