Long years back when
I was a Kid, may be prior to my teens in a chilled winter early morning my
mother woke me up and asked to go to WASH room and take a head bath. I was so
surprised of her behavior, thought being my mother how can She be so ruthless.
Why such punishment? I resent but in vain. As both my parents were working and
were placed in different place, in annoyance I told her let my father come this
time I will tell him of your brutal behavior towards me. I had no idea what is
happening with my body and why I was bleeding. A girl who was over enthusiastic
to take her bicycle and rush to attend school every working days was asked to
remain at home for 3 days. I was told, you have grown up now. I was shocked, how can someone become grown up
in a day of difference? This was my menarche experience. I was lucky that my
mother was not that strict on taboos in my successive menstruation. Only restraint
was of touching God and visit to temples. It was different that how much even I
obeyed that taboo 😊
Menstruation which is a natural physiological
process in the reproductive cycle of a girl is factored with so many taboos, fallacies.
Proscription on food, free movement, confinement at home in a room, even not allowed
to enter kitchen, free choice of attire (not allowed to wear certain colored
dresses), restriction in mingling with cousins, friends of the opposite sex, social
exclusion, in certain culture practice of observing the event with a great
ostentatious display by calling relatives, friends, neighbors, perhaps to show
that girl is ready for marriage. Many believe women are impure those menstruating
days, they are not allowed to touch bed, plants, certain food item, and reason
that their touch would spoil things. People strongly believe that menstrual blood
is impure, that comes out of women body.
Menstruation is
rarely a conversation subject, especially in front of males even if, he is a father,
brother, a good friend. Mothers also hesitate and feel embarrassed to talk on
this with their adolescent girls as it has connection with sex and
reproduction. Many Girls are not that lucky as I was, whose father used to get
sanitary napkins of her choice, used to discuss my cramp problems, used to do massage
to comfort me, get medicine for me, with whom I used to discuss openly on my
embarrassment on blood strain, asked him to check if my dress in back is alright.
Cultural
practices and taboos around menstruation makes women life difficult. Many of
such prohibitions reinforce gender discrimination and exclusion. Many prevailing taboos make the menstrual hygiene
more difficult, certain practices creates challenges for maintaining menstrual hygiene.
A girl facing a physiological change, even
sometimes the emotional mood changes due to changing hormones, needs to be dealt
with empathy and not by banishment. She needs support to deal the change in
life. She needs to know what is happening in her body, which is a natural, normal process nothing offending, nothing embarrassing. Many prevailing taboos makes a
girl life difficult and limit their freedom. Strongly believe solution is to
break the silence, speak openly on menstruation, how important is to maintain hygiene,
menstrual blood is not impure, the milk that we (hindus) consider pure and
pour on Lord Shiva, use for many religious practices get soiled with the growth
of bacteria in it, so as any blood, Menstrual blood stinks as soon as bacteria
grows. It’s important to critically think on the practices unlike just
adopting and making children’s life hell. Dealing menstruation is not just
knowing the physiology, science of hygiene but more of a life skill to deal
with such glitches of life.
