Ladies "Problem"?

 Red- such a vibrant colour isn't it? This is one such colour that stands for energy and auspiciousness at the same time as it stands for danger and destruction. And like many colours, red also has many shades like crimson, geranium, carmine and what not. But, why am I suddenly talking about colours and that too about red? Well, it is because, I recently read that Pantone, the company known for the biggest colour matching system in the world, has launched a new shade of red - 'Period Red' to destigmatize menstruation. 

Yes you read it right. MENSTRUATION - this word is enough to attract uncomfortable looks and glares when spoken or in this case, written in public, whose reason I've not been able to fathom yet. Actually, many people in India do not even know what menstruation is - and this statement is well supported with facts. While researching on this topic, I watched a documentary which depicted what, in general, Indian men think of menstruation. I was giddy with laughter on hearing their answers, in which they said everything, from "Menstruation is women's path to मोक्ष ", to "It is a punishment bestowed upon women by God", except for it's actual meaning that it is the lining of uterus which is expelled out from a female's body when fertilisation does not take place. But my comical expression turned into a serious one when a man replied, "Something like menstruation was there in our science textbook during school, but our teacher never taught us that part, so we never really paid attention to it." This is when I realised that the situation is indeed dire. And moreover, this documentary comprised of just the local citizens of Delhi, which also happens to be the capital of our nation. I mean, what awareness can we bring to break the taboos related to menstruation if people don't even know, and are not even taught about it?

I feel that the root cause of this ambiguity are we, the women ourselves. We feel ashamed to openly talk about menstruation even with fellow women! How can then we deny the conspiracy theories associated with this important biological process? It is we who often refer to menstruation as a "ladies problem" . What I don't get is that how can a process that is responsible for the very existence of human life can be a problem to anyone, for that matter?

But then, after discussing with my family members, I realised that menstruation has become a "problem" as an amalgamation of a long history of traditions and beliefs. But, plot में twist  है। With further research, I found that in ancient times, menstruation was considered auspicious, and when a girl got her first period, she was honoured like a Goddess, as from then onwards, she was capable of carrying human life forward. But then, this was followed by a period of decline, when menstruation was no longer divine. Menstruating girls and women were asked to stay in a separate room, not touch anything or anybody and were barred from entering places of worship. The logical explanation that I can think of these traditions is that during that time, women did not have the means like sanitary napkins or tampons to maintain hygiene. So, to not risk anyone to infection, they must have been asked to "socially distance" themselves from others and God. But what I do not get is that why has this process continued in today's era of efficient sanitary merchandise? If menstruating women are considered "impure" or "unclean" even today, then all the manufacturers of the sanitary merchandise need to halt their production at once, because it seems that their products are not efficient enough. 

Pantone's move to introduce 'Period Red' is good, but it is doubtful if this move will be able to attain its objective. To destigmatize menstruation, particularly in India, we first need to talk about it. Parents and teachers must teach their children and students, no matter whether they are girls or boys, about menstruation, at the right age. And this should be done as much as in rural areas, as in urban areas, then only can the problems highlighted by the movie 'Padman' be resolved. Coming to the taboo- breaking part, we cannot force our elder generation to shed their beliefs suddenly, as their upbringing has conditioned their brain to think in a certain way. But, as the youth of our country, we can surely choose to not follow these beliefs. Moreover, we can always tactfully pitch in the science behind menstruation to narrow-minded people, as Einstein's quote " Science without religion is lame, Religion without science is blind" stands true.

It is time that menstruation does not remain in it's Voldemort like stage - 'It which must not be named', and this process starts with you and me and everyone reading this post. This Navratri, let us acknowledge the Devi within us, by helping change the perception of menstruation in the minds of our loved ones at least, so that the Devi whom we all worship truly feels worshipped.

Thank you for reading this post and I would love to know your thoughts on this topic. We'll meet again soon with a next post.

Bbye

Until next time

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