Taboo talk

There’s often so much talk about women’s bodies and the choices women make about them.

But barely anyone talks about periods, even if it’s a completely normal process that’s experienced by half of the world’s population.

Due to this odd expectation to keep periods hush-hush, many women and girls feel ashamed, anxious, and even isolated when they go through their menstrual cycles. Society deems periods to be “dirty”, and expects the people having them to stay indoors. In some countries, women and girls do not enter sacred areas when they’re menstruating.

This stigma also makes menstrual products and hygiene infrastructure such as clean water, soap, and safe, private toilets, even less accessible for them. On top of the pain and discomfort caused by periods, many women and girls have to suffer from the lack of these necessities when they are outdoors. In areas where these items and facilities are rather inaccessible outside, many girls end up skipping school just to stay at home.

Imagine being a teenager in rural India. The start of your menstrual cycle means having to spend part of your family’s income on menstrual products such as pads. You could use rags or old clothing instead, but you risk a serious infection if they’re unclean. If you decide to miss school due to the discomfort, you’ll have to explain it to your teacher, which would be awkward since periods are seen as a taboo topic, especially if your teacher is male.

In many low-income countries, women and girls don’t get to use pads. Leaves, coconut husks, and even animal skins are the only alternatives for them. The unavailability of proper menstrual products and sanitary facilities exacerbates period poverty in these countries.

Even in more developed countries such as Singapore, periods are still a taboo. Women may also skip work due to pain and discomfort, or to avoid feeling awkward around colleagues.

In these countries, period products are also expensive, amounting to thousands of dollars in a lifetime. While eco-friendly options are cheaper, many women may not be comfortable with them, and therefore still prefer disposable versions.

Periods take a heavy physical, mental, emotional, and even financial toll on women and girls. But it’s a process that all of them go through, and it should not be treated as a taboo topic.

How can we make life easier for women and girls?

• Create a more period-positive society, including workplaces. Clean sanitary bins, a ready stash of menstrual products, and period off-days go a long way in easing women’s pain and anxiety.

• Include reusable alternatives to disposable pads in period education. Not only are they cheaper in the long run, they are also much better for the environment.

• Subsidise reusable and disposable menstrual products or make them free-of-charge in schools and government buildings, as well as rural and low-income communities.

Clearly, much more can be done to make the world a more comfortable place for women and girls. For more information on how to create a more period-positive workplace specifically, reach out to period company Blood for their digital playbook!