Finally, to normalise menstruation

Prem Chowdhry
Author and former academic, DU  

The recent Sabarimala controversy over the opening of the so-far closed precincts of the temple to women between the ages of 10 and 50 by the Supreme Court ruling has brought into focus the question of menstruation, a topic which has always remained hush-hush in the Indian society. It is generally a forbidden subject, resulting in little understanding of how menstruation is viewed and dealt with in the Indian society and why women shy away from speaking about it. 

According to a research, only 12 per cent of the menstruating women in India use sanitary napkins. Some cannot afford them, while others are not even aware of them. As much as 82 of per cent women in India still do not know what a sanitary napkin is. To understand this, I took a series of personal interviews which revealed several differences existing within classes, ages as well as regions, ie its urban and rural areas.

Interviews revealedthat in urban areas, lower middle class girls do use sanitary pads. While talking to them, one girl revealed that she started menstruating when she was in the sixth grade. She said her mother got upset and stated that she had grown up too fast and feared that she would start inviting unnecessary male attention. At no time was any girl informed by her mother as to what exactly it involved. When mothers were questioned, they only commented: "What is there to tell? They will soon find it out themselves. We were never told by our mothers." 

One mother, whose little girl aged 10 is studying in a government school, revealed that she got a call from her daughter's class teacher, asking her to come and fetch her child. When she went to the school, she found her daughter crying. Later, she found that her daughter had started her menstruation in the school for which she was scolded by the teacher who, however, did not tell her pupil anything about it, except to show abhorrence. 

This was clearly a situation in which the schoolteacher was washing her hands off any responsibility to inform the pubescent girl about this occurrence. 

When confronted, one teacher, shrugging off any responsibility, stated: "They know everything these days." 

The urban middle and upper middle class girls are much more at ease with this phenomenon, but nevertheless share certain characteristics with their other counterpart in the classes below. They are also not informed by their mothers, but confessed to discussing with one another. 

Taboos imposed on girls

Regarding taboos which are imposed upon them during this period, the girls confirmed there were some restrictions. 

• For example, sour food like curd, tamarind and pickles are to be avoided by menstruating girls. It is believed that such foods disturb the menstrual flow. But the girls don't care. They eat stealthily at home or in the school. 
• They are also told not to do exercise/physical activity. But again, there is no question of their sitting out of these activities in the school. 
• Other restrictions like not being allowed to enter the "puja" room or being restricted from offering prayers in the urban areas and not entering the kitchen among the rural girls are also there. For ignoring these, they are scolded as the mothers observe them consciously. 

Conditioned to believe it as shameful

So much of negativity conditions women to understand the menstrual function as being something to be hidden, something shameful and referred to as mahina, mahawari, periods, chums etc.

By not naming a thing, we reinforce the idea that the thing should not be named. This is primarily because it is felt that it's something dirty and must not be vocalised. Yet, these euphemisms serve a purpose. They at least enable women to talk about things that are considered culturally taboo.

The challenge is further compounded by the fact that the mothers' or even the teachers' knowledge that menstruation is a natural part of the reproductive cycle in which blood from the uterus exits through the vagina and is one of the indicators of the onset of puberty, is woefully low. 

In rural areas, whatever may be the National Family Health Survey's claim, research has shown that over 77 per cent of the menstruating girls and women are calculated to use an old cloth, which is often washed and reused. This compromise in hygiene often leads to reproductive tract infections. In one case, the uterus of a young girl had to be removed because of severe infection. 

Twenty three per cent of the rural girls are calculated to drop out of school when they start menstruating. Dropping out of education encourages early child marriage and makes them lose the opportunity to be in the workforce.

What can be done? 

It is clear that multi-sectorial approaches are needed. 

• There is a need to spread awareness among mothers as well as the schoolteachers regarding menstruation. 
• Low-cost sanitary napkins can be locally made and distributed, particularly in rural and slum areas as women's access to the product is difficult. In this regard, the Government of India's scheme of 2010 must be implemented properly. At present, it is very indifferently done. 
• Sensitisation of health workers, accredited social health activists and anganwadi workers regarding menstruation biology must also be done so that they can further disseminate this knowledge in the community and mobilise social support. 
• Last but not the least, increasing the role of the male partner and clearing his belief system is also pertinent in combating deep-rooted social beliefs and cultural taboos. It is important for men and boys to understand this natural process of menstruation so they can support their sisters, wives, daughters, mothers, female students, employees, and peers. There must be a trained workforce to address these issues. Only a holistic way can erase the shame surrounding menstruation.