We need to talk about periods
Author: Yaoying Lin| National Affairs Officer
Source: https://feminisminindia.com/2018/03/06/culture-period-shaming/
Across the average female’s lifetime, she will have approximately 500 periods. At any given time, around 300 million people - whether that be girls, women, non-binary people or transgender men* - are on their periods. Yet, despite the fact that this “monthly friend” visits about half of the world’s population on a regular basis, menstruation remains a taboo topic around the world, often referred to in euphemisms and enshrouded in silence and shame.
*Note: Throughout this piece, the terms “girls” and “women” are often used to refer to all menstruators. Although this has been done for readability purposes, it is vital to acknowledge that menstruation is certainly not just a “woman thing”.
The Source of Shame
From a young age, girls are conditioned to believe that their periods are a “girl’s problem”. This arises due to a variety of complex social, cultural and religious factors that have perpetuated stigma around periods for generations.
In many societies, girls are often pulled aside in the classroom to learn about menstruation. Although teachers may justify this by saying that they don’t want girls to “feel embarrassed” in front of boys, this evasive and divisive educational system only serves to compound and ingrain shame in yet another generation of young women. Beyond socialising girls into thinking that conversations about periods are uncomfortable, it also reminds them that they should walk on eggshells around men when it comes to this topic, or else risk being the punchline of another “shark week” joke.
Moreover, many of the world’s major religions view menstruating women as “unclean”. During their periods, women are not only excluded from social and religious events, but are also banned from kitchens, crop fields and places of worship. In Nepal, an ancient tradition that banished women to a chhaupadi hut (period hut) outside of their homes during their periods was only outlawed in 2018. This practice left women susceptible to diseases, rape, animal attacks and in some extreme cases, death. Even though it is now an illegal practice, families continue to take the risk because the view that menstruating women are impure is so deeply entrenched within the Nepalese culture. Indeed, a study conducted in late 2019 found that even though more than half of them knew it to be illegal, 77% of girls continued to practice chhaupadi..
The Impacts of Menstrual Shame
For many, this shame makes our periods something that we deal with discreetly and talk about in hushed tones. For others, the consequences are far more alarming. Research has found that for many migrant and refugee women, menarche – a young woman’s first period – was often a frightening experience where they had little to no knowledge of what was happening with their own bodies. Indeed, of the 169 migrant and refugee women living in Sydney (Australia) and Vancouver (Canada) who were interviewed in the aforementioned study, the majority had no knowledge of the link between menstruation and reproduction before their first period. Moreover, many only learnt about the function of menstruation when they became pregnant. These findings are supported by a UNICEF study that showed that one in three girls in South Asia had no knowledge of menstruation before menarche, and 48% of girls in Iran thought that menstruation was a disease.
The following are a few examples of what period stigma looks or feels like. They were shared by BuzzFeed readers from a variety of different countries, cultures and religions. Indeed, they highlight how widespread menstrual shame is, and how women are embarrassed not just in front of men, but also other women.
“Most Malay women even wash out their tampons with soap and water before disposal, as it is thought to be unclean otherwise.” – reader from Malaysia
“Girls can’t buy pads in shops without being stared at like they’re committing a crime… after you buy it, it’s wrapped in such a way nobody can see it.” – reader from Bangladesh
“I wish it was something I didn’t have to hide… It’s like pulling off a heist any time I need to smuggle tampons into the bathroom.” – reader from Canada
Last week I told a male friend that I was sad and that I was on my period, and he responded, ‘Disgusting.’” – reader from Argentina
“The responses time and time again when we asked, ‘What would make getting your period better?’, girls of school age said, ‘Menstrual products where the wrappers don’t make any sound’.”
Period Poverty
Periods aren’t just associated with shame. Period poverty is a global issue and public health crisis, referring to women’s lack of access to safe, hygienic sanitary products, menstrual hygiene education and/ or toilets and disposal facilities. According to the 2015-2016 National Family Health Survey, only 36% of the 336 million menstruating women in India use pads, while the rest use old rags, ash, leaves, mud and soil as substitutes. Approximately 12% of India’s menstruating women cannot afford period products. In Kenya, this percentage jumps to a staggering 65%. In 2017, there were 137,700 girls who missed school in the UK because they couldn’t afford pads or tampons. Indeed, the current coronavirus crisis has plunged millions deeper into period poverty. All around the world, women are having to consider their shopping priorities and choose food over sanitary products.
“Meeting the hygiene needs of all adolescent girls is a fundamental issue of human rights, dignity, and public health.”
The consequences of period poverty include:
Negative effects on girls’ education.
It’s estimated that one in 10 girls in Africa will miss school when they have their periods. The most common cited reasons for this lack of attendance, or even drop out, includes the deficiency of clean toilets in schools, limited access to sanitary products, fear of staining and being bullied by classmates. This is a huge problem as studies have shown a plethora of negative flow-on effects for girls who receive less formal education. For instance, they are more likely to be forced into child marriages and experience domestic violence as well as early pregnancies.
Negative implications for women and girls’ health.
Using socks, old newspapers, paper towels, dirty rags and other substitutes pose serious health risks, having been linked to increased chances of contracting reproductive and urinary tract infections, cervical cancer and Hepatitis B. Moreover, lack of access to sanitary products has also been related to poor mental health outcomes, such as elevated anxiety, depression and distress scores.
Beating Period Poverty
In order to combat period poverty, arguably the most advocated for solution is more affordable menstrual products. The pioneering country in this regard is Scotland, who are poised to become the first country to end period poverty by providing free sanitary products for all. Other countries such as Australia, Canada, Kenya and India have removed the tampon tax (sales tax on menstrual products).
Addressing period poverty is a step towards gender equality, and every win should undoubtedly be celebrated. Yet, free, or even cheaper products will not singlehandedly solve such a complex socio-economic issue. A 2018 Plan International UK report found that there are a myriad of reasons why providing products alone cannot improve school attendance. Among other reasons, menstrual stigma, lack of menstrual hygiene education and poor waste management facilities prevent girls from managing their periods hygienically and with dignity.
We need more nuanced solutions. We need to address the lack of comprehensive reproductive health education in many countries. The exclusion of boys in the classroom. If men know very little about periods, how can they be allies in the fight against period poverty or the tampon tax? And on a more everyday level, how can they sympathise with the pain and discomfort that the women in their lives experience monthly? In order to beat period poverty, we need to first normalise menstruation and the taboos that surround it. Let’s work towards changing the cycle together, period.
“Speaking about an issue is the only way to combat its silence, and dialogue is the only way for innovative solutions to occur.”
Some initiatives that you may find interesting to start a conversation about:
https://www.dezeen.com/2020/10/01/pantone-period-red-intimina-colour-design-news/
Health brand Intimina and colour company Pantone have collaborated to create a blood-red colour designed to encourage a positive conversation around periods.
A comic book for boys and girls about menstruation that was produced in partnership with UNICEF in Indonesia. After reading the comic book, the knowledge that menstruation is a normal process jumped from 81 percent to 97 percent in girls and from 61 percent to 89 percent in boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSnZSaWhtJs&feature=emb_title&ab_channel=Modibodi
Modibodi’s latest campaign, The New Way to Period, was recently launched to challenge the view that periods are something to be ashamed about, in addition to championing a more sustainable way of managing periods. It was initially banned by Facebook for being “sensational”.