Menstruation Stigma in India
The Problem
In this paper, I will write about menstruation stigma in India and the FLO reusable menstruation kit.
Since its inception, the world has been constantly evolving to attain the best structure possible. The human race has come a long way, by learning new skills and lessons, but there still remain some aspects that were left behind and, over time, took the form of a taboo. These are the aspects which oftentimes require the utmost attention but are left in the dark corners instead. They are never talked about in public and are discussed with hushed voices in close company. This is the reason that awareness regarding these subjects is negatively affected.
One of these taboos that our society owns is menstruation. The subject that is directly related to women’s health is the subject no one is ready to talk about or listen to.
Menstruation is the process of shredding the mature eggs from the lining of the uterus at the end of every lunar month from puberty till menopause. The body discharges blood and other materials that are no longer required by the body, as they were prepared for the sake of pregnancy.
Menstruation is something that everyone, especially women, must be aware of. They should be well-informed about their bodies. Menstruation is a very healthy and natural process, but many times it is regarded as something dirty or even unholy. All across the world, women are treated differently while they are going through their periods. The situation is not very encouraging in developed countries as well. About 70% of the women in America have been seen to develop fibroids in their childbearing days.
But the situation worsens when looking towards Asia. Due to the atmosphere being more radical and conservative, the topic is simply out of bounds for discussion. The situation intensifies when talking about India. The depth of the situation can be estimated from the fact that women currently on their periods are not allowed to enter the kitchen or a place of worship.
However, this does not mean that efforts to bring a change are not in place. The government is working on educating the masses about the subject. There even is one program called ‘Saathiya’ where two adult females are selected per 1,000 population in 214 directions to discuss health issues regarding menstruation. Sanitary products are more readily available as schools have started making them more available for girls in the bathroom; the discussion has started.
Before going further, it is important to understand that menstruation is largely not talked about across many cultures. For example, in Afghanistan “92% of women used a washed old cloth or rag to absorb menstrual flow, 1% used an unwashed old cloth, and 5% reported not using anything at all.” This is most likely because the prices of feminine hygiene products are also very high in Afghanistan: one menstrual pad can cost $4 USD in Afghanistan. In Puerto Rico, women said that menstruation was strictly a topic discussed by women, and usually, girls only talk about it with their mothers when they need something or have a question. However, these cases do not mean that progress is not being made. For example, France is currently leading in the eradication of the negative stigma around menstruation and the discussion about periods and everything involving women’s health is talked about in a more open environment, which makes health knowledge and resources more readily available.
Why India
India is not known to let go of its rituals and beliefs easily. The society is very conservative and traditional. Topics such as sex and menstruation are taboos and are not to be spoken about in public. It is very interesting and grave at the same time that the national language, Hindi, offers a very complex word for sex: the word is ‘sambhog’. Instead of using it, the people heavily rely on the English word itself, as it makes them feel less awkward. Sanitary products are typically not bought by women because the shops are mainly run by men. Thus, men themselves have to buy the products for their families. In many situations, the shopkeeper gives the men the products wrapped in black polythene as if they were smuggling something illegal. This goes to show how uncomfortable the people are to even acknowledge the existence of menstruation as they just cover it up under polythene bags: out of sight, out of mind.
Culturally in many parts of India, menstruation is still considered to be dirty and impure. The origin of this myth dates back to the Vedic times and it has often been linked to Indra’s slaying of Vritras. It has been declared in the Veda — which are the most ancient Hindu scriptures — that the guilt of killing a brahmana, or a Priest, appears every month as menstrual flow, as women had taken upon themselves a part of Indra’s guilt. Further, in the Hindu faith, women are prohibited from participating in normal life while menstruating. She must be “purified” before she is allowed to return to her family and day-to-day chores of her life. However, scientifically it is known that the actual cause of menstruation is ovulation followed by a missed chance of pregnancy that results in bleeding from the endometrial vessels and is followed by preparation of the next cycle. Therefore, there seems no reason for this notion to persist that menstruating women are “impure.”
All this evidence gives us an idea about what the situation is like. And it is not encouraging.
However, the country is making some effort to combat the situation: more and more efforts on the education of young girls are being made and they are bound to show positive results. The government of India has even approved a scheme to improve menstrual hygiene for 15 million adolescent girls by distributing low-cost sanitary napkins in rural areas under the National Rural Health Mission since 2010. The government imposed a tax of 12% on sanitary pads which was met with widespread protest, which signifies that the society is becoming aware of its needs. The government then exempted sanitary napkins from any kind of tax, viewing it as an essential item rather than a luxury.
After this decision was made, activists said that removing the tax on pads has tackled one of the biggest barriers to education for girls, who are often forced to stay at home due to a lack of access to clean hygiene products, while also facing stigma and a lack of toilets in schools.
The Bollywood movie Padman is another example of the eloquence of social media in starting necessary discussions about traditionally taboo topics: the movie depicts the true story of Arunachalam Muruganantham, a social activist from Tamil Nadu who introduced low-cost sanitary pads. The film’s executives said that their intention for making the film was to curb the stigma and open the doors for discussions about pads, menstruation, and women’s sanitation products to be opened.
However, this does not mean that there is no place for improvement. The topic has been ignored largely by the politicians because of the negative attention that it could attract. Large masses are still ignorant of the subject and treat women on their periods as if they have sinned. Women depend on other men of the house to provide them with the sanitary products that are available to them. The quality of the sanitary products needs a push as well.
Why Jaipur
Jaipur is the capital of the North Indian state of Rajasthan, which is the state of Kings and Warriors. The state boasts of generations of great warriors and kings. The birthplace of Rajputana places everything else before their pride and values. The people know how to keep a promise and how to die for the sake of one too.
Perhaps these values and pride are what was understood in a different and self-satisfying way that allowed for the enormous stigma that has built up in their society over taboos, such as menstruation. The women are not allowed to talk of it and have to keep their stories to themselves, even if it means putting their lives in danger due to living in unsanitary and hazardous conditions. There are places where the ritual of sending women to a distant location to keep her away from the family when she is on her period is still in place. Many girls and women are subject to restrictions in their daily lives simply because they are menstruating. Not entering the “puja”, or praying room is the major restriction among urban girls whereas not entering the kitchen is the main restriction among the rural girls during menstruation.[5] Menstruating girls and women are also restricted from offering prayers and touching holy books.[6] The underlying basis for this myth is also the cultural beliefs of impurity associated with menstruation. It is further believed that menstruating women are unhygienic and unclean and hence the food they prepare or handle can get contaminated.
A study was conducted to estimate what exactly the situation of menstrual awareness in the state is. The study examines the knowledge on menstruation of 90 adolescent girls and 45 married men representing the rural area of Jaipur city, the capital of the western State of Rajasthan. The study reports that the psychological preparedness of girls about menarche is a mere 8.8%, which is much lower than what it ought to be. Only 7.7% of girls did not face any menstruation-associated physical discomforts and none of the girls had ever approached a doctor for some relief. Despite their awareness about readymade sanitary napkins, none of the girls was currently using these due to the high cost and shyness in purchasing them from men-run shops. The men considered menstruation essential to make a woman ‘complete’, but only about half (51.5%) of the married men correlated it with the process of conception. This shows that while men are the ones in charge of running the house and taking decisions, they are not fully aware of the needs of the women of their family. The study concludes that at the heart of any solution lie two factors
a) the need for socializing men about it and
b) providing facilities, both health and sanitation for school-going girls in rural areas, in particular.
Empowerment of women through education and increasing their role in decision-making can aid in this regard. Women and girls are often excluded from decision-making due to their lower literacy levels per se. Increasing the education status of women plays an important role in improving the health status of the community at large and overcoming the cultural taboos, in particular. The provision of sanitary napkins and adequate facilities for sanitation and washing should be made available with the gender perspective.
Our mission – FLO
To understand what the product is, we have to understand what the problem with the majority of the population regarding menstruation is. The majority of the girls and women are not financially secure enough to spend money repeatedly on products their family does not think are necessary. Thus, they need something they can use over and over again. Moreover, most of the women do not have a supermarket or a shop within their reach from where they can buy sanitary pads. Also, they have to face awkward conversations with the shopkeeper every time they have to go and buy sanitary pads.
To relieve women from such conflicts, and after researching a lot, we have found the perfect product – the FLO sanitary tool kit for women living in poverty. The kit consists of sanitary pads that can be used by women while on periods. Also included in the kit is the apparatus required to wash the sanitary pads after use so that they can be used more than once. Thus, women don’t have to spend a lot of money and go through the awkward experience with the shopkeepers from time to time. They can stay home and use the pads again and again for sanitation.
Month after month, millions of women and girls around the world mainly in Sub Saharan African and South Asia from countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, etc. resort to managing their period with pieces of mattress, newspaper, or even tree bark because they lack access to or cannot afford proper sanitation products. For many of these girls, getting their period means putting their life on hold. A survey conducted in 2011 revealed that in north India, over 30% of the girls interviewed dropped out of school after they started menstruating. Reproductive tract infections (RTI) were 70% more common among women who were unable to maintain hygiene during their menstrual cycle. This kind of cultural neglect of menstrual hygiene is reflected in policies as well because a larger number of adolescent girls (between 12-18 years of age) miss five days of school due to lack of toilets for girls.
An example of tackling such a problem efficiently can be seen in Africa, where women and young girls were suffering from similar problems that the women in India face. According to UNICEF, one out of ten African schoolgirls skip school or drop out entirely due to a lack of adequate menstrual products and proper sanitation. Research indicates that in Uganda this figure is even higher, with 29.7 percent of girls enrolled in primary school skipping school days once they start menstruating. The answer to the problem was proposed in the form of — reusable sanitary pads, or AFRIpads.
AFRIpads are washable and reusable sanitary pads made from a high-tech polyester fabric that allows them to be super absorbent and quick to dry. The AFRIpad snaps into a pair of underwear so that it fits comfortably and securely. Each AFRIpad can be used for six to eight hours and can then be quickly folded up in its packaging. When a girl gets home from school, she can soak it in water for 15 minutes, wash it, and then hang it up to dry and be reused.
The product’s washable fabric enables girls to use each pad for over 12 months. At a price that equals that of a single-use sanitary pad, the AFRIpad costs significantly less, especially when considering that an average woman or girl might use an entire pack of sanitary pads each month.
While the product is refreshing and new in a positive manner, there still are some problems that it faces. The reach of such a product is still limited as the capitalist companies prefer single-use pads because they attract more profit. Moreover, women must be educated on how the kit is to be used. Only then they will be able to use the kit proficiently and enjoy its benefits.
Conclusion and further analysis
Taboos are present and persisting all across the world. Subjects such as sex and menstruation are considered private and out of bounds for a public discussion. Even in the family are the discussions very hushed and seldom. Menstruation is considered a taboo that negatively impacts women’s health, both physical and mental. At a young age, women are hit by the supposed ‘problem’, which they were never informed about and now acknowledge that they have to deal with it for the rest of their lives. Then, instead of products that are specifically designed to address the ‘problem’ that they are facing, they are forced to use more handy materials such as rags or old pieces of cloth. These worsen the situation as the rags serve as a hatching bed for the bacteria, putting their health at risk. Now, on top of all the struggle that they have to go through, women, while on their periods, are treated as if they have sinned. They are considered dirty and unworthy of entering a kitchen or a place of worship. Unimaginable is the mental struggle that a woman has to go through which she does not deserve at all.
It is situations like these that FLO is determined to fight. Sanitation is essential for a healthy life, and a healthy life is every woman’s right. Women are opposed by several challenges that obstruct them from a proper life. Issues such as poverty, social stigma, and a society dominated by men are directly addressed by FLO reusable sanitary pads kit. The cost is kept low so that women of every financial level can afford them. Moreover, they are not required to be bought as frequently as single-use napkins. This also saves them from awkward conversations with shopkeepers.
FLO makes women more conscious and aware of their bodies and gives a boost to their self-esteem, which was squashed by a male-dominated society. The pads save the women from the hazardous health risks that they were putting themselves in by replacing the rags and prices of cloth.
It is very important to acknowledge that FLO is more than simply a company trying to do business. We have to understand the pitiable condition millions of women are living in. They do not have access to the very basic items that are essential for a healthy life. They are looked at as if they are committing a crime while all they do is what nature commands them to. FLO gives these women the means to lead a respectable life. It gives them the means to stay healthy. This product gives them the chance to not put their health in danger by using practices that were used centuries ago and not risk their lives with them. FLO reusable kit is a step towards women’s sanitation and empowerment.
Works Cited
“Flo – Tool Kit for Adolescent Girls Living in Poverty.” Mariko Higaki Iwai – Product Designer, marikoproduct.com/Flo.
Sood, Pragya. “‘Only 18% Women in India Have Access to Sanitary Hygiene in India’ – Times of India.” The Times of India, The Times of India, 11 July 2018, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/health-news/only-18-women-in-india-have-access-to-sanitary-hygiene-in-india/articleshow/64931350.cms.
Dewan, Angela. “Life Stops for Many Women and Girls in India during Their Period.” CNN, Cable News Network, 28 May 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/05/28/asia/india-menstruation-myna-mahila-intl/index.html.
“The Rural Indian Whose Invention Ended Women’s Period Shame.” Google, Google, www.google.com/amp/s/amp.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2133458/rural-indian-inventor-whose-machine-make-sanitary-pads.
“FAST FACTS: Nine Things You Didn’t Know about Menstruation.” UNICEF, www.unicef.org/press-releases/fast-facts-nine-things-you-didnt-know-about-menstruation.
“Jaipur.” TrekEarth, www.trekearth.com/gallery/Asia/India/West/Rajasthan/Jaipur/photo659179.htm.
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Kothari, Bela. (2010). Perception about Menstruation: A Study of Rural Jaipur, Rajasthan. Indian Anthropologist. 40. 43-54. 10.2307/41920109.
“Why Is Menstruation Still Considered As A Taboo In India? | Youth Ki Awaaz”
“The Rural Indian Whose Invention Ended Women’s Period Shame.” Google, Google, www.google.com/amp/s/amp.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-beauty/article/2133458/rural-indian-inventor-whose-machine-make-sanitary-pads.
“Reusable Sanitary Pads Help Keep East African Girls in School. Period.” Google, Google, www.google.com/amp/s/unreasonablegroup.com/articles/reusable-sanitary-pads-keep-east-african-girls-in-school/amp/.
“Smiling Rajasthani Women and Some Menstrual Stories.” Goonj, 28 Nov. 2019, goonj.org/smiling-rajasthani-women-and-some-menstrual-stories/.
Garg, Suneela, and Tanu Anand. “Menstruation Related Myths in India: Strategies for Combating It.” Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd, 2015, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4408698/.
Banerji, Annie. “India Scraps Tax On Sanitary Pads In Boost For Girls’ Education”. U.S., 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/india-women-sanitation/india-scraps-tax-on-sanitary-pads-in-boost-for-girls-education-idUSL8N1UG4HN.
Luckow, Kaitlyn. “Exploring The Mentality Of Menstruation Around The World | Nannocare Period Blog”. Nannocare Period Blog, 2020, https://nannocare.com/blogs/news/exploring-the-mentality-of-menstruation-around-the-world.
(Featured picture courtesy of https://marikoproduct.com/Flo)
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