Page 26 - English Tehelka Issue 5 - March 15, 2018

health

ed signifies many con- Menstrual hygiene: uct MY Pad. Goonj also believes in not necessary that females should where we began by imparting edu-
notations in the diverse the theory of triple As- Awareness, wear sanitary napkins only; hy- cation by talking about taboos and
Indian cultures and Accessibility and Affordability, gienic cotton cloth can be worn too myths on menstruation in rural
religions. Power, pu - Still shy to talk red without meeting these three points, during periods. ” schools of Punjab. We found out
R rity, love, anger — red the entire cycle is incomplete. Not to Choudhury and Gupta are men that 70 per cent of females in rural
has many shades of interpretation. miss out on the fact that affordabili- on a health mission for women in a Punjab were not using sanitary nap-
Another significant meaning of ty is still a big issue in a poor country society where the natural phenom- kins or had access to pads. I decided
red which often shies away from in India like India.” enon of menstruation is considered to plan a cheaper solution for these
being part of mainstream discus- Jago Gaon founder Somesh as impure and shameful. When ladies. That is when this campaign
sion in India is menstrual hygiene. Choudhury is fighting for the men- asked about facing any resistance turned into a project,” she said.
With the word menstruation are Menstruation has always been a tricky subject in India strual hygiene rights of women in from people, Somesh said, “Once, “We are engrossed in reusable
accompanied never-ending myths where people across states and cultures have viewed the over 100 villages of Begusarai and when we were motivating women pads distribution that can be worn
and taboos like inequality, impurity, Samastipur districts of Bihar. Many of Bah Bateshwar village in Agra for without an undergarment and also,
superstition that are still deep-root- natural phenomenon with disgust. pari saikia explores villages of Bihar do not sell sani- pads distribution work in nearby provide two-hour menstrual health
ed in our society. The menstruation how education can break the taboos around periods tary napkins in shops due to stigma villages, senior male members from programme educating females on
myth is not restricted to rural areas surrounding periods, Somesh told their families started to warn them hygienic menstrual practices in
only; modern families in urban are- Tehelka. saying Is kaun pagal ke chakkar mein schools, slums and rural areas. We
as and metro cities are no exception. body shies away from these things, retail price) of 30 per packet. Dis- “We have brought out an aware- pad gaye ho (Don’t work with this hold simultaneous sessions with the
Menstruation is a natural phe- including the mothers. tribution of sanitary napkins (not ness book named Mahamari Meri mad person).” girls first and then with the moth-
nomenon experienced by women’s In most parts of the country girls even 100% cotton) is momentary. Kahani so that the first level of the Talking about Punjab, Jeevan ers,” Jeevan told Tehelka.
bodies, without which reproduction on periods are barred from entering The real question is when will we task, i.e, educating girls and women Jyot, better known as ‘Pad Woman’, Called ECOShe Saafkin pads, a
is impossible. Education on men- kitchens, temples, washing her hair, have a long term solution for men- on menstrual hygiene, is done. Jago pinpoints an important matter — pack of two reusable pads costs Rs
strual hygiene is highly important taking medicines, not to forget the struation — the need for education Gaon reaches out to rural schools majority of village women cannot 200. Only girls from the very poor
for girls to understand the transi- pickle curse where touching pickle and awareness on menstrual hy- where girls from fifth standard are afford undergarments or have ac- families get the pads free of cost.
tional change in their bodies. But is believed to be ominous; in some giene?” Anshu told Tehelka. • Stigma taught on pre-menarche and men- cess to it them, forget about any What is special about these pads?
why do people get so uncomfort- cases girls are only allowed to sleep Focusing more on the need of haunts Many strual hygiene practices. We also menstrual protections for them. Jeevan explained that they are made
able by this subject about a natural on floors for at least a week, a cus- educating girls and women on villages of work with women of village Gram She said that 70 per cent of females out of a fabric which is permanent
process of life? tom still prevalent in many states of menstrual hygiene, he said, “We Bihar do not Sabhas and Anganwadi workers of in rural areas of Punjab are still anti-bacterial and disinfected,
What is absurd about taboos north, south and north-east India. need to work more on the aware- sell sanitary Begusarai and Samastipur districts far from using or having access to powered by living guard technol-
around menstruation in India is These antiquated customs are a re- ness part like what is the issue relat- napkins in in Bihar, Bateshwar (Agra district sanitary napkins, as per a survey ogy. The wash-and-reuse ECOShe
that in some cultures, onset of me- sult of sheer ignorance in terms of ed to menstruation? How do we get shops due in Uttar Pradesh), Dhandbad in by S.H.E Society of which she is the Saafkin pads can last for a year sans
narche is traditionally celebrated education and awareness on the into more hygienic practices? We to stigma Jharkhand and parts of Delhi, on founder. discomfort.
with much openness to mark the concept of menstruation across all at Goonj stress more on education, surrounding the menstrual hygiene sensitization “We started a campaign called Talking about unhygienic men-
beginning of puberty. For instance, sections of society in India. interaction and then on our prod- periods drive to train and educate them. It is ’S.H.E. Breaks the Bloody Taboo’ , strual practices in Punjab, Jeevan
Assam celebrates the onset of peri- said, “We have adopted a slum in Ja-
ods in girls with a marriage ceremo- Time to talk red landhar where we have witnessed
ny called Tuloni Biya; in Karnataka, it Goonj Founder Anshu Gupta, whose Taboos and how these slum ladies are involved
is celebrated as Aashirvada; Tamil Not Just a Piece of Cloth (NJPC) project in most unhygienic menstrual prac-
Nadu calls it Saddangu and so on. caters to women of rural areas and antiquated tices like using rice husk and sand as
In Assam, the menstruating girl is urban slums of 20 states through customs are a menstrual protection.”
married to a banana tree, assumed distribution of handcrafted, reus- To this, Somesh added, “Our fight
to be her groom. The adolescent girl able cotton sanitary napkins and result of sheer is not limited to sanitary napkins
is decked up like a bride and vermil- spearheading education on men- and awareness. Menstruation is a
lion is put on her; it’s a seven-day strual hygiene in schools, calls for a ignorance normal body phenomenon without
affair followed by a marriage recep- framework to fetch out a long-term in terms of which the existence of mankind is
tion, music and gifts for the little solution on menstruation. a question. To understand this, gov-
bride. “The topic of menstruation can- education and ernment should make menstrual
However, the same openness not be treated as a fashionable awareness on hygiene a part of school education
is absent when it comes to talk - subject which all of a sudden has where both male and female stu-
ing to girls on basic menstrual hy- become one. We need to look for the concept of dents should be taught to break bar-
giene methods, correct ways to use long-term solutions to this. People menstruation rier, taboos and myth. And aware-
sanitary napkins, treating them as are setting up sanitary pad vending ness and education on menstrual
normal human beings during men- machines, incinerators, even selling across all sections hygiene is a continuous process. ”
struation without following taboos pads at a subsidised rate of 5 per of society in India
and superstitious beliefs. Every- packet against the MRP (maximum letters@tehelka.com

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