5 ways to normalize menstruation!

AS time goes on and the years and decades pass, one of the best things to happen is that societies progress. There was once a time in India when the average child was not allowed to go to school with other children due to their “status”. That has changed. There were once people across India who did not have the right to employment because of their background. That has changed. We are now in the crux of another major positive change – normalizing menstruation for the normal and natural process that it is. To remind everyone reading, bringing life into the world is not possible without menstruation. So, the stigma and discrimination against menstruation should end and girls and women should celebrate being the only gender that can create life. 

 

What exactly is menstruation?

Menstruation is a normal process. Here is all it is: the ovaries produce eggs which are then released into the uterus. If an egg is fertilized by sperm, it turns into a fetus or baby. If the egg is not fertilized, it exits the uterus in the form of tissue and blood. That tissue and blood that exits the body is what a period is. But if menstruation is so normal, why do both men and women feel reluctant to talk about it? Perhaps this could be because the parts of the body that are involved in menstruation are sexualized by our societies. Rather than consider these as mere reproductive organs, they are “taboo” parts of the body that should be spoken about. But because of this, girls and women across the world suffer in silence without being able to ask for help with period-related needs or complications.

To make progress in this area, all it requires is action on our part to reverse this situation. Here are 5 ways to normalize menstruation:

 

1. Learn about menstruation

The first step toward normalizing periods is to learn exactly what it is. Much of the reason that people want to avoid speaking on the subject of menstruation is because they are not aware what menstruation is or how normal a process it is. But by learning this, we can shatter the myths surrounding periods and realize that there are no reasons whatsoever for us to hide the fact that menstruation exists. When we do this, we take the first steps toward tackling head on the obstacles that prevent us from accepting menstruation as a normal part of life.

 

2. Educate others 

Learning about menstruation is just the first step. It is also important to educate others. We can do this by having conversations with people, using our social media platforms or changing our own behavior to spread the word that periods are not something that should repel or discomfort us. Reaching out to others will create a ripple effect in our homes, classrooms, workplaces and communities. When each person does this, it can make a transformative impact in helping our societies progress and making life better for girls and women across India. 

 

3. Learn how people suffer from stigma

Because of the stigma against periods as “unclean”, girls and women are placed at a disadvantage. When girls get their periods, their families often force them to stay home for that week or drop out of school altogether. This has disastrous consequences for their futures. Without an education, these girls cannot go to college or get jobs in the future. Furthermore, girls and women from poor backgrounds are forced to use pieces of cloth or newspaper because they cannot afford sanitary pads and this causes severe health complications and even death.

 

4. Normalize periods in our day-to-day lives

Living by example is one of the most impactful ways to create change. By talking about periods in our day-to-day conversations, we can normalize and make them a matter-of-fact part of our lives. Some other ways we can accept periods as normal is to not hide sanitary products in newspapers when we purchase them in stores or conceal them on our way to the bathrooms at work. When people witness the openness with which we treat periods, it will become an accepted and normal part of our lives and we can break the stigma.

 

5. Support NGOs 

There are incredible NGOs across India working hard to educate local men and women about the normal nature of periods and also help underprivileged girls and women get access to sanitary pads. Give’s Mission: End Period Poverty is one such campaign that works with a grassroots NGO to make a real change in our attitudes toward menstruation and help disadvantaged girls and women get access to the period products and information they need. When you support these NGOs you help end the discrimination and improve the health of girls and women in India.

 

This is how valuable menstruation is

We have read above that menstruation is a necessary process to create life. Both men and women value childbirth but shun the process that is central to creating life – menstruation. Such a vital and necessary function of the female body should be celebrated rather than considered “dirty” or “unclean” and periods should be valued more than it is. There is a condition called amenorrhea which is when girls and women do not get their periods due to problems with their ovaries, brain or other organs that cause women to become infertile. When this happens, extensive treatments are needed to normalize their reproductive systems. This is an example of the value of having normal periods and it should be acknowledged for the important role it plays in sustaining life on Earth. 

 

Let's Normalize Menstruation!

 

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