ASPIRE NOT TO BE, BUT TO DO

If there were no restrictions on opportunities, I would like to work for

spreading awareness regarding menstrual hygiene, myths associated
with it and stereotypical mindsets of people. If women have to buy a
sanitary napkin from shop, the shopkeeper covers it in a black polythene
or in a newspaper. Why is it so? Some practices still prevail in our
country like women are not allowed to enter religious places and in
extreme conditions they are not allowed to enter kitchen when they are
on their menses. Menstruating girls are not allowed to touch the holy
books. In India all the women, regardless of their social caste considered
to incur pollution through menstruation. People in India have
uncountable myths regarding menses i.e., they believe that if a woman
touches a cow while she is on her periods the cow will become infertile
making girls impure. Over 77% of menstruating women in India use an
old cloth which is often reused. Even the cost of sanitary napkins is so
high that poor people cannot afford it even if they want to use it. But
most of the women in India are not even aware about their menstrual
hygiene which is a cause of worry in India. Women should not be
treated as an excluded person only because of this reason. All women in
India should be aware about menstrual hygiene and they should accept it
as a gift of god rather than considering it something we should be
ashamed of. As we all know that gender inequality was a western idea
not an Indian idea, Western countries have done a lot in recent years to
overcome this but now India where a woman is considered to be
Goddess, she can’t even express her feelings openly. As Scotland has
become the first country to provide all the things related to menstrual
hygiene for free, the only country to end ‘period poverty’. India should
also do something like this, if not so we should not treat menstruation as
a sin. God has provided us with this of course for a reason. Lot of
women empowerment has been done in India, now women
encouragement is the need of the hour. The mindset of people should be
changed here. In India all the women, regardless of their social caste
considered to incur pollution through menstruation.
Why menstrual hygiene is important?
1. Using damp sanitary napkins for longer period can act as a perfect
environment for growth of harmful bacteria and yeasts.
2. These bacteria cause severe abdominal pain, back pain and fever.
3. Improper hygiene during periods can result in Reproductive Tract
Infections.
4. Not taking care of menstrual hygiene can also lead to Cervical
cancer which is caused by Human Papilloma Virus.
Increasing the education status of women plays an important role in
improving the health status of the community at large and
overcoming the cultural taboos, in particular. Provision of sanitary
napkins and adequate facilities for sanitation and washing should be
made available with gender perspective. In some parts of India strict
dietary restrictions are also followed during menstruation such as sour
food like curd, tamarind and pickles are usually avoided by
menstruating girls. It is believed that such foods will disturb or reduce
the menstrual flow. Education regarding this should be provided not
only to women but also to men and boys so that they can support their
wives, mothers, daughters, employees and peers.
In a nutshell I would like to say that I am proud to be a woman, and
happy the way God has incarnated me. I have the power to give life
with the grace of God. And this gift can only be endowed upon me if
I as well the other gender accepts me the way I am. So here out to all
women in the society, just kick off all the illogical taboos and myths
and you deserve a very wonderful and respectful life.
By- Khushi Gupta