Reflective Paper

Candidate Name: Raheen Farooq

Candidate Number: 0210
Centre No:
Centre Name:
Series, Syllabus and Component No: M/J 24, 0457 & 02
Topic: Disease and Health
Words:

Issue: Deep-rooted lack of awareness concerning menstrual hygiene, its status

as a taboo, harmful myths and practices linked with menstruation and
inaccessibility to proper hygiene products due to period poverty.

Aim: Spread awareness in Lahore regarding menstrual hygiene, especially in

the lower class which is most unaware and teach women about correct practices
as well as supply them with the necessary menstrual products to take care of
themselves.

Team Element
Outcome: To be able to fulfil our aim by educating women and documenting
the perspectives of women grappling with this issue, we created a documentary
filled with interviews of professional doctors from across Pakistan and abroad
as well as middle and lower-class women, therefore, exploring various local,
national and international perspectives on this issue. Here is the link to the
documentary video:
Explanation: We first dove into the causes behind this issue. UNICEF’s and
PSI’s menstrual hygiene initiatives helped us understand the situation and how
to solve it [1][2]. We thoroughly investigated the extent of this issue in Lahore.

We conducted seminars twice at two different branches of our school,

questioning girls aged 12 and up. Through the surveys we distributed to collect
primary research data, we found astonishing results which revealed that 73% of
over 350 girls had never been to a gynaecologist—even when they were facing
severe issues such as excessive/bare bleeding, delayed menstruation(3 to 24
weeks), abnormal cramps etc.—22% had only visited once or twice and only
5% were regular. Many of those who had not yet started their periods were
foreign to the concept, showing that no previous education on the matter was
given to them by parents or teachers.

Furthermore, the circumstances of the lower class were even worse. We visited
slums where many women did not have the means to afford pads/tampons.
Those who did found it more comfortable to bleed freely without any product or
to tie a cloth to themselves which they reused repeatedly. What we found most
shocking was the fact that many found it sinful and unclean to use pads or
tampons. Each of the women was unaware of the concept of tampons or
menstrual cups. We proceeded to answer their questions, debunked their
misconceptions and made them aware of the dangerous diseases caused by
unhygienic practices such as cancer and infertility. Finally, we supplied them
with pads and demonstrated their use.

We interviewed esteemed professionals and gynaecologists through Lahore such

as Dr. Maria Farooq, Dr. Nausheen Tauseef, Dr. Umme Habiba Ishfaq and even
Dr. Rida Zafar from UAE who gave us insight into the dangers of negligence of
menstrual hygiene.
1. UNICEF: Breaking Silence on Menstrual Hygiene
https://www.unicef.org/innovation/U-Report/menstrual-hygiene-polls-
pakistan
2. Breaking Taboos: PSI Pakistan’s Menstrual Health Initiative
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il6eTjuEKGk