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Breaking the Taboo


Is menstruation unnatural phenomenon? Do you think is it a sin?  

Menstruation is a biological process that occurs in woman's body every month. So, it's not a strange thing nor an unusual topic to discuss about it openly. 

Thus, to mark the end of this taboo in our society and schools across the country, 28th May of every year is celebrated as a menstrual hygiene day. It is not only to educate and empower our women and girls on importance of menstrual hygiene but also to respect their well-being. The move initiated by schools is a hats up program basically to benefit women and girls, and to extirpate the poor mentality of our men and boys towards woman's monthly period. Its more of an educative program for both men and women. 

Back in my school days and even today, I see headache and side pain to be the most common lie used by schoolgirls to escape the monthly period fear. They even show many nonverbal gesture of pain and despair to express their monthly period. The survey have found out that around 32% of girls miss their classes during their monthly period. The study have found that around 48% of our women and girls hide their menstruating identity because of the bulk of discrimination and challenges they face in a patriarchal society. 

It is also found that any girls who experience their first monthly period feel very embarrass, uncomfortable and uneasy to share outside with anybody, because they fear the discrimination and the unnecessary mockery. I feel the move at this time is appropriate and necessary to overcome all such backward mentality of our society. And even the important message goes out to our men and boys to help, protect and befriend them by just being positive. 

Although it was a bold step taken by ministry of education to educate and empower women and girls on menstruation, but there are many challenges like lack of easy excess to sanitary pad, proper pad disposal pit, washroom facilities, sexual and life skills education to schools and community. 

Growing of the beard alone can't help us (men) make a gentleman but rather understanding the feeling of our woman makes us (men) more gentle and human. So, let us empower our women and girls, mother and sister on their right of menstruation. It is their birth mark and they have every right to undergo this natural phenomenon monthly. Let us collectively break the silence and make a free society to talk about menstruation. There is no reason to be afraid of sharing openly, rather our women and girls should accept it as a pride. 

Menstruation is nothing unusual rather a natural phenomenon. Let's feel free to talk about it openly!

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