What do you think of when you hear the word ‘menstruation’? Is it discomfort? Indifference? A flashback to a particularly awkward lesson in primary school? No matter what your first reaction was, it is quite heavily informed by your environment – different people of different cultures around the world have varying views towards menstruation, and women from different places have to face varying problems regarding this ‘time of the month’.
How is that relevant to feminism, you ask? Well, the goal of feminism is to ensure equal rights for women — and one of the many facets of this goal is to allow all women to have their periods safely. Therefore, menstruation is also an important topic of discussion in the feminist movement. And what’s a more interesting way to talk about it than to understand different perspectives towards this same issue around the world? In this article, we’ll be taking a look at these differing attitudes, as well as the various challenges faced by people who menstruate in different parts of the world.
Assam, India
In Assam, a state in northwestern India, a Tantric festival called the Ambubachi Mela is celebrated every year in June. This festival is the largest religious congregation in Eastern India. During the festival, temples are closed for three days, as it is believed that the goddess Kamakhya is menstruating during this time. All daily worship and agricultural work is forbidden as a sign of respect to the goddess. When the temple doors are opened, devotees wait outside the temple to receive the unique ‘prasad’, which is small bits of cloth, supposedly moist with the menstrual fluid of Goddess Kamakhya. It is considered highly auspicious and powerful. The biological process of menstruation is thus respected among the people.
But at the same time, it is believed that the earth becomes impure during the 3-day period in which people are not allowed to worship or work, and similar attitudes and restrictions are held towards menstruating women, especially in rural areas. For example, girls are not allowed to go to school or college during their periods in Panbari village in rural Assam. This, as you could imagine, has negative effects on their education, and makes it harder for them to keep up with their classes. Apart from school, they also aren’t allowed to enter the kitchen, or enter temples for worship. They also have little access to information on safe menstrual hygiene practices — some women do not know about or cannot afford sanitary napkins, and have to use cloth instead, which heightens their risk of infections.
Nepal
The Chhaupadi Pratha is an ancient Hindu practice that has a long history in Nepal. It is a custom that isolates menstruating women in huts and separates them from other people. Much like in Panbari, women are considered impure during their period and are not allowed to enter their houses, or visit any temples. Although the Chhaupadi custom has been illegal since 2005, many still observe this practice. First, this affects women physically – there are several reports of women dying in these huts. One reason for this is snake bites. Another common reason is that during the winter, some women start fires in order to keep themselves warm, and they die from inhaling too much of the resultant smoke. Babies are also confined in these huts with their mothers shortly after birth, so there are also reports of babies dying with their mothers while observing this practice.
In addition, one must also consider the psychological impact of this tradition – despite it being against the law, many still practice it due to societal pressure. In rural parts of western Nepal, this custom is linked with local belief systems and ways of life. It is believed that if women do not adhere to these traditions, crops may fail, and people or animals may die of illnesses. Some women also believe that they are endangering their families by not practicing this custom. Thus, women are conditioned by their environment to feel guilty if they do not follow this tradition, and believe that menstruation makes them inferior or impure, when in reality, it is a natural biological process that they should not be ashamed of.
The United Kingdom
Although menstruation is not considered taboo or impure in the United Kingdom, there is another problem that could be seen in society – period poverty. Period poverty refers to a lack of access to menstrual products and hygiene facilities, as well as a lack of knowledge about these topics. A survey by Plan International UK showed that more than a third of girls (equivalent to over one million) aged 14-21 in the UK struggled to afford period products during the Covid-19 pandemic, which was up one fifth on the previous year. Some girls also reported that they had to cut down on other essential items like food and clothing in order to afford sanitary products.
Although there have been government and retailer schemes that provide free period products in schools, public buildings and supermarkets, only around half of girls aged 14-18 in England and Scotland said free period products have been provided in their schools and colleges. This shows that even if menstruation is not considered taboo, some women still find it hard to maintain proper hygiene during their periods due to economic difficulties.
Hong Kong
Sure, we don’t have festivals that celebrate periods, but even though we don’t have any particularly interesting outlook on menstruation, there is still something of note right here in our home – the problem of period poverty could also be seen in Hong Kong society. Several girls from grassroot families use one sanitary pad for eight hours straight (the recommended time is 3-4 hours) in order to save money. This is unhygienic, and could have negative effects on their health – for example, they may be at a higher risk for infections.
In addition, a group that may be overlooked during these discussions are ethnic minorities living in Hong Kong. A survey conducted by the Zubin Foundation among ethnic minorities showed that over 50% of the respondents’ family members had lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and over 45% of the respondents were still struggling to continue their education due to financial issues. This gives these families less money to spend on sanitary products for their family members’ periods. Even in a developed city like Hong Kong, the problem of period poverty is still present.
There are measures taken to alleviate these issues – charities are organising workshops on menstrual hygiene and distributing free period products to women in need, but it all starts with being aware (or should I say, aweare) of these issues. Hopefully, everyone has learned more about the various attitudes towards menstruation, as well as the hardships that women from different parts of the world have to face during their periods. As mentioned above, discussing these issues are an important part of feminism, and everyone who menstruates deserves to have access to any products or information that they need, and have their periods safely.
References
Writer: Haruna Kajimoto
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