Why does it feel embarrassing to ask for a pad or tampon? Or to ask to go to the restroom in class? Or to constantly be checking to make sure you’re not bleeding through?
Menstruation is a normal biological function that is experienced by half of the world’s population, yet, there still remains a stigma. It is a topic that many feel uncomfortable talking about, even those who experience it. Menstruation has been given codes names like “time of the month” because the word menstruation has been deemed too uncomfortable to say out loud.
The stigma around menstruation is a global issue. Many places in the world struggle to provide education on menstruation and menstrual hygiene.
Public Health Advocate explains that in some instances in Venezuela when a woman is menstruating, she is ostracized from her home and even forced to sleep in a hut until her menstruation ends. A study from Kenya also showed that young girls will miss 20% of a year of school due to menstruation, according to Public Health Advocate.
However, talk about menstrual and reproductive health has the potential for strides toward gender equality and human rights in many parts of the world, according to Open Global Rights.
Open Global Rights explains that the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaboration Council (WSSCC) has worked to educate women in various countries about menstrual health. They have traveled to India and West Africa teaching women about menstrual hygiene and safety. For some women, this may have been the first time they were able to talk about menstrual health in a safe and comfortable setting.
Due to lack of public conversation surrounding menstrual health, young girls are left feeling embarrassed or uncomfortable surrounding the beginning of their menstruation. Instead, the start of menstruation should be a feeling of empowerment.
It’s difficult to feel empowered by something that the majority of society feels uncomfortable talking about.
A key step toward finding empowerment in menstrual health is education on the topic. Menstrual health education is the process of teaching women and young girls about the biological functions of the menstrual cycle and the importance of menstrual hygiene practices. Women will have the ability to feel more empowered about menstruation by receiving proper education, something that is currently lacking worldwide.
When women feel comfortable enough talking about menstrual health and education, there can be a ripple effect of comfort and confidence about the topic for all women.
Through education on the significance of the biological functions of menstruation, women can better understand how empowering it is. It is an important aspect of reproductive health which encompasses reproductive freedom and a voice for women.
Menstruation is a shared experience among most women and there is a lot of power in that. Menstruation is not a dirty or shameful topic, it is a beautiful and empowering part of being a woman that should be celebrated, not put down.