“It’s that time of the month.”, “I am going through girl’s problem.”
How often do we hear that? A lot, I bet. Periods, as I mention the word, I imagine a lot of cringes and disgust expressions on reader’s faces. So, let’s say it again and more aloud, PERIODS. If you are still unable to say it aloud, please read on.
It’s really strange that people in today’s world consider menstruation as disgusting and gross. It’s no hidden fact that it is referred as Women’s “secret” business, and men need not poke their nose in this matter. This is one of the basic forms of patriarchy, which is widely accepted all over the world. The fact that even the girl’s term it as “GIRLS PROBLEM” is in no way helping their cause. It is in no way a problem, it is a simple biological process. Period. It’s just the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of uterus through the vagina. It’s as normal as urinating. And if you can’t fathom over this fact, you need help instead of bleeding women.
What makes MENSTRUATION a taboo?
Almost every religion has their share of misogyny when it comes to menstruation. The bleeding women is considered “impure”. The irony here is, that menstruation in itself is a cleaning process.
Women during their periods are not allowed to pray, or visit any holy place. Hypocrisy smiles, when we worship bleeding goddess in temples, and yet not allow bleeding women to enter the same temple. Even in Christianity, that covers most of the west, consider bleeding women as potentially sinful. Talk about liberal outlook.
Men, boys and even women themselves are not open to talk about it openly and freely. Men feel disgusted and gross and women simply awkward and embarrassed. We need to collectively understand that the only unnatural thing about menstruation is the taboo and certain patriarchal behaviour attached to it. For example, women are not allowed to touch pickles during menstruation. Seriously!
Doesn’t it sound senseless to you when we program a little girl who just had her first period, into feeling guilty, humiliated and plethora of such thoughts? Shouldn’t we instead celebrate her first step into womanhood? Shouldn’t we celebrate the fact that she is now bestowed with powers to bear another human life? What is so shameful about it? I have and always, will fail to understand.
The change in the mind-set will not come unless we open up as a society. Unless, we stop calling bleeding women “impure”. Unless, we stop packing sanitary napkins in newspapers and then re-wrapping it in black polybag. Unless, we stop making women feel left-out. Unless, we stop making women feel like they are taking “Walk of shame”, when they buy sanitary pads from stores.
Culturally, we have held our women in high-esteem. Let’s not demean them now by making this absurd practice pass off as “tradition”. Let’s speak out about it aloud and not “whisper” about it. Let’s celebrate the Womanhood. Let’s celebrate the bleeding women. Because more than anything they deserve it and it’s long overdue.
