Girls studying in Government School are challenging the taboos and myths around periods!

“I had my first periods on Sunday; I wasn’t feeling really good in spite of the fact that Sunday has always been my favorite day! My sister was the first one who told me that I am having periods. I was so scared and confused; the thoughts of having periods every week were haunting me. Even now when my periods are delayed I get scared. It is always so uncomfortable”

On the occasion of International Menstruation Hygiene Day 2019, we got this wonderful opportunity to engage with 100+ girls from Government School, Dwarka. Whenever there is discussion on periods in my experience, it is mostly directed towards either supply of free/discounted pads to girls/women, sustainable disposal of pads or new alternatives of pads easily neglecting the fact that the simple conversation as to ‘what periods are?’ is still a miss in India be in rural or urban communities!

The primary objective of engaging with adolescent girls on this day was to build an understanding on ‘what periods are?’, importance of hygiene during periods, taboos and myths around menstruation in order to empower them to challenge the shame and stigma around it. The session began with an inquiry as to why we have gathered here today – the answers were quite interesting – to talk about puberty, adolescence, physical changes, learning a new skill or may be attraction? When I shared the topic and objective behind the session, there was an instant murmuring, shy smiles and some of them started looking at each other except in the front where I was standing! This is not unusual thing to happen as it indicates the discomfort and shame around periods in our society which is evident even at the beginning of adolescence. 

The participants were then invited to write ‘their experience of having periods for the first time’. It was quite interesting to see that there was pin drop silence with only faint voices of pen and ruffling of papers being audible. The heaviness of 100+ experiences of first periods weighed on me as they had mentioned how they actually felt during the first time which was not pleasant even for one person. They were scared, uncomfortable, upset and full of confusion as to what is happening to them suddenly- most of them had cried, screamed, hid from their parents, didn’t go to school and were worried that they have caught some unknown disease that might be fatal. The important aspect was they still don’t feel okay with it!

One of the most interesting parts of this activity was when I was collecting back the sheets- few of the girls handed me folded sheets which indicated the importance and dire need to have these conversations. 

On asking how they felt after writing this was a catch –

‘I feel really good. This is like unburdening because no one has ever asked me.’

‘I am so surprised and had never thought someone would ask me to write about periods as even my mom acts weird while giving me pad’

‘I am so glad that we got this thing written, it was indeed a painful experience. I still feel scared when I don’t get periods’

‘I am so amazed that all of us could write it. I could write because we are all girls and I didn’t feel ashamed for the first time about my periods’

Based on the above discussion, we detailed out what periods are? Why a girl in puberty gets periods and how it is important? The conversation on periods started from physical to emotional to societal aspect of it building an understanding that all girls during adolescence gets periods, there is nothing wrong in you and in fact it is important to have them for your proper growth as reproductive being; emphasizing that it is perfectly okay to feel scared, weird or confused about them; it is also normal to talk about it because periods are not an hindrance to you as a person. 

Following this, we did a mind map on ‘the things girls are told not to do while being on periods’. The answers included- don’t worship during periods, don’t go to temple, not attend festivities/puja, don’t enter kitchen or cook food, don’t touch pickles, don’t engage in physical activities and whole lot of things that we are not supposed to eat during menstruation. This discussion left us with only luke warm water and milk that could be consumed during periods. Because of this weird revelation, everyone started laughing with screams like 'wah we can't have anything just because we are having periods that sounds so stupid'

We then divulged into whether these are true or have any logic behind them? With our discussion, every point became null and void leading to the basic fact that periods is a physical change that happens to girls and all these myths/taboos arises because we never discuss about periods openly and blindly follow what is told to us!

In order to gather their understanding on periods, the participants were invited to discuss or perform a role play on the given situation to the respective groups. 

Through the role play, the first group challenged the most common and strictly followed taboo that girls shouldn’t pray or indulge in pooja while being on periods. 

In the second play, the participants created a play where they challenged the myth that girls shouldn’t engage in physical activities during menstruation. In this, the participants actually shared how their sports teacher (Male) talk about what periods are and how they shouldn’t stop girls from playing sports even if they are having periods.

The third play was my favorite and I would remember this for long time. We were running out of time, the girls in the third group were reluctant so one of the girls stood out and said that she would perform all by herself. It was enthralling and enticing to see her confidence where she played numerous characters while weaving the story that challenges the taboo that period talk shouldn’t happen between boys and girls. In this play, the boy offers support to the girl who gets periods in public transport.  This openness around one of the most tabooed topic of periods within 2 hours of conversation was an experience in itself. The girls were bubbling with questions and ideas how to share their thoughts on periods by the end of the session. 

The joy, calmness and comfort replaced the fear, discomfort and confusion the girls were experiencing before the session which just made me happy and opened the doors for more such conversations.