First of all the menstrual cycle is a part of the reproductive system in women just like any other natural system in our body like the digestive system, circulatory system, etc. There would be no procreation without the reproductive system. That’s how significant it is. And calling it a taboo in the society is like calling nature a taboo itself. It’s like any other natural thing of nature on which rests the survival of human species and there’s no point in hiding or not knowing about it. A woman faces so many issues because of this cycle and hiding it makes their life even tougher and it’s not just their responsibility, men should also be responsible for that in the first place they are born because of that so both the genders should be educated about it just like any other health problems. And it’s a shame that if the society in this age still needs to asks these questions.
Inference-Menstrual cycle is a natural process.Both the genders should be educated about it .So,that each understands it responsibly.
Vishal Chaudhary, Singer, Music Composer and Songwriter
Having regular menstrual cycles is a sign that your body is working normally. It also prepares your body for pregnancy each month. For the first few years after menstruation begins, longer cycles are common. A woman's cycle tends to shorten and become more regular with age.
Menstruation has been seen as a taboo in nearly every culture. Periods, have long been associated with dirt, and disgust, and shame, and some might say fear. Even today, in some communities, women are banished to sheds during their period because of so-called 'impurity' during menstruation. It shouldn't be a mystery of what's happening in your body. Normalizing menstruation as just a healthy, positive part of the female life cycle is really important. Not just girls but also boys should be made aware about menstrual cycle. If this has to change, schools needs to be more open about the importance of menstruation and they need to be more sympathetic towards the stigma a girl faces. For a start, schools should provide resources and information that girls can access. This will help them understand – rather than feel scared and fearful – what is happening to their bodies during puberty.This is one step towards taking the taboo out of menstruation, because to achieve gender equality on this issue, girls need to feel able to talk about their periods and challenge the discrimination that is associated with menstruation and developing female body. And boys can play a big role in this if they also get the right support and resource.
Inference: Menstruation is a sign of a woman’s body working properly.Schools should play an important role in educating both boys and girls about the issue.
Shikha Gandhi, CA Final Student
A menstruation cycle is the normal regular cycle of menstruation or periods occurring every month in a woman, signifying that all the important parts of the body are functioning properly. The menstruation cycle prepares the body for pregnancy every month and also helps cause hormonal changes in the body to keep a woman healthy. People who menstruate have long been taught to be ashamed of or to keep silent about their periods for many reasons.Many women who are on their periods are not allowed to be in the kitchen or attend ritual practices. According to widely-held beliefs in India, menstruating women are impure and should not enter temples, or take part in religious ceremonies, or prepare certain foods, among other restrictions. These kind of misogynistic beliefs need to be shattered.I wish men did understand menstruation better, so that they were more empathetic and informed about it. Boys and men absolutely need to be part of the conversation. I do not believe there needs to be a limit on what men need to know about menstruation. Gender is irrelevant. I think the conversation simply needs to remain respectful of people's boundaries about what they are willing to share and consume. If the conversation is healthy and respectful, I'm all for it!
Inference: Menstruation is a normal process.Boys should also be educated about it.Silence on taboos and menstruation-related topics is doing a lot of damage.This silence should be broken by a dialogue between both the genders.
Aniruddho Purkayestha, Marine Engineer, NYK Line
Significance of menstrual cycle can be related with significance of birth. Without this, a woman is incomplete. It should not be a taboo in our society because it's not a sin to have it's actually a bliss. Take it as a pride not as a shame. Not only girls, boys should also be educated about this if not in detail than in brief but they must respect and understand what a woman goes through just for the survival of everyone. It's a responsibility of a boy to take care of his wife, girlfriend, sister, mother or anyone around them.
Inference: Without menstruation, birth of a new life is impossible. So, education about menstruation should be given to all.
Vaishali Pahuja, CA Final Student
Menstrual cycle is a phenomenon in a woman's body which is the main reason why a life takes birth. This shouldn't be considered as a taboo at all. And everyone in the society should be aware and educated about that. However, this should not be mixed or seen in light of anyone's traditional or cultural beliefs. There are more than lakh temples in our country. Why everyone wants to go to Sabrimala? Aren't there other temples to go? There are also 5 temples in India where men are not allowed. Why aren't we taking about that?Women are not allowed to enter any mosque or no women are allowed to hear any confession in church, so why only targeting a single temple in the country which has a thousand years of tradition. Can our honorable Supreme Court pass any resolution against the practices in church or mosque? So the crux is that in layman's language in our society we should promote education about menstrual cycle or best will be to promote movies like "Padman". But in the name of women equality please do not target a temple's thousand year old tradition.
Inference: Without menstruation life is impossible.Taboos around menstruation should be shunned. But, let’s not mix culture and tradition with all this.
Abhinandan Mondal, Process Manager, American Express Bank
Menstrual cycle is just another natural process and why do we have to be silent about it. It should not be a taboo. People need to be vocal about it. Educating boys is essential as it is not acceptable that men do not know when the women in their lives have their periods. As taught by my mother, menstrual cycle was her time to rest when my grandmother managed the house. But when my menstrual cycle started, it was to cleanse the body periodically. Coming to second part, menstrual cycle should not be a taboo but then the fact is our society is not accepting it. We all have to really recognize the importance of working with girls because they are our future. Certainly, here in India girls are very marginalized and face many obstacles. It is also important not only to educate girls but to educate all levels of society in order for things to change. We need to acknowledge the importance of organization and solidarity throughout the world.
Inference: Menstruation has been treated as a taboo topic for too long.We need to break that silence and talk about it openly.Through proper organization and solidarity ,one can achieve this.
Aakriti Saxena, Chartered Accountant, Delloite
The main significance is that pregnancy is totally dependent on it. It should not at all be a taboo. I can speak for hours on this. It's equally important in taking generations ahead. God knows why people have created such issues on it and to be very honest, I never follow any of these idiotic habits of not going to temples and all. I searched the net and couldn't find a single convincing reason on why I should follow such hollow traditions. The media report highlights certain areas key to building a strong and enabling environment to improve menstrual health and hygiene in India. First, educate mothers, who are usually the principal point of contact when a girl first gets her period. Then, create an enabling environment in schools, where teachers are a significant source of information for girls, especially when mothers are an inadequate source of information. Schools provide a platform to educate and prepare a critical mass of girls on menstrual hygiene best practices.Finally, the market for cloth and other locally produced alternatives needs to counter the widespread unavailability, unaffordability and non-biodegradability of commercially marketed sanitary pads.Of course boys should be aware of it. It's a very natural phenomenon. It's like breathing and blinking. Why hide and keep it a secret? I feel men of old ages thought of this as a way to control women and keep them closed inside four walls of their houses, which is why they made all these irrelevant rules.
Inference:Menstruation is natural like breathing or blinking. Firstly, Mother’s should be educated.Secondly,schools should create awareness about it . Thirdly, Research should be done to make pads biodegradable.This three- pronged action would solve many problems related to the taboo of menstruation.
Apoorva Srivastava, Chartered Accountant
Menstrual cycle is a monthly period cycle which happens to every girl. This is something which everybody should know about it irrespective of gender. Boys should have proper knowledge about it so that they can take proper care of their sisters, friends, girl friends and wives. This is not a disease so society should stop treating it like one. Menstrual hygiene and management can be essential in ensuring that your everyday life is not interrupted by menstruation. It ensures that you can continue with your daily routine such as going to school, going to work or doing household chores. It can also prevent potential situations of embarrassment and in turn, make you feel confident about yourself and your body. In this sense, maintaining proper menstrual hygiene is important for your wellbeing and development.This should never be a taboo. Teachers should never skip this chapter. Proper education is required not only for menstrual cycle but also sex education should be provided to the young generation.Menstrual hygiene can be promoted in the community and in school. The best start would be to address adolescent girls, although other women in the reproductive age group will also benefit from the information and access to sanitary products.
Inference:Menstruation is not a disease.So,stop treating it like one.Proper education at school and home about menstruation and menstrual hygiene is essential.
Ruchi, Chartered Accountant, Delloite
The menstrual cycle provides important body chemicals, called hormones, to keep you healthy. It also prepares your body for pregnancy each month.It should not be a taboo.It’s a scientific as well as biological phenomenon of a female body and it should be accepted as it is. It's not required to be hidden as in this modern era everyone knows about it, people just for the false sake of respect and shyness try to hide it.And yes most important every girl should be taught to accept it , manage it and to be open about it but not to make it a topic of sympathy or a false attraction, it should be in the ambit of respect and feminity (if required).Why to hide it when every single boy knows about it, better boys be taught to understand this is a few days period of a girl who suffers many mood swings, severe pains and a lot. So boys should be taught not to ask girls to hide just be open and to help the girls if it is required for that time .This is for the betterment of the society and just because this may be painful but in the end it’s the wonder of nature and we should accept it, as it leads a female to give birth which is the biggest and the most awesome blessing of the nature.
Inference: Menstruation is an inevitable biological phenomenon in the female body.Men should be educated about it in the proper manner along with women.But, this should not become a topic of gaining sympathy from the other sex.
Runu Ghosh, Management Trainee, Aptech Aviation & Hospitality Academy
Compiled by Abhijan Purkayestha, CA Final Student and Songwriter
First, I want to start with saying that women are incredible. They are the reason that humans exist on this planet. The menstrual cycle is the basis or a platform which paves the way for the creation of new individuals. It's a very divine and sacred process .We really need to see them as the incredible beings they are and truly value and respect what it is they go through every month.
Culturally in many parts of India, menstruation is still considered to be dirty and impure. Taboos surrounding menstruation exclude women and girls from many aspects of social and cultural life. There is a need to dispel these myths and taboos for the health and wellbeing of women as well as the society as a whole. Bringing this topic out in the open and discussing it in public forums will help in removing the taboo of concealment.
One of the underlying reasons why menstrual hygiene has been neglected is gender inequality. Unequal power relations between men and women result in women’s and girls’ voices not being heard in decision-making within households, communities and development programmes. They have also led to cultural taboos, stigma, and shame around menstruation. One of the critical challenges girls face at school in relation to menstruation is the fear of being teased by boys, which has a deteriorating impact on their self-esteem.
The schools have become places within four walls where kids consume education. But, schools can play an important role in normalising issues that have become taboos over the years. An inclusive approach is required where men and women are equal ensuring greater support which leads to successful empowerment of the whole community, especially women and girls.