Menstruation Is Part Of Health, Not A Dirty Sin

Image source: youtube.com

I’m a Pakistani, and growing up in my part of the world means you’ve probably heard some totally absurd things. One of them is the ongoing debate over menstruation and it’s false association with modesty or haya. We all know what periods are, every woman gets them. It’s a natural process; a literal part of health. But more often than not, it is misconstrued as something sexual. It is treated like a dirty sin, and talking about it is considered taboo, hushed in the name of honor. What is more infuriating is how it is supposed to be kept a secret from men (PS, they already know what it is). Even your male family members shouldn’t know you get them and desi women go to great lengths to hide their time of the month.

I can’t solely blame patriarchy for this because most of the time it is women losing their minds over menstruation. And many times, it is women shaming other women for not hiding their period well enough. Girls are instructed to conceal sanitary pads at all costs. In Ramadan, when a woman is on her period, she cannot fast. Because she’s bleeding, her energy drains and going without eating is not advisable for good health. In Pakistan, most girls still get up in the middle of the night to sit with their families and eat during sehri just so their fathers and brothers don’t find out they’re menstruating. Even in the day, it is ensured that the girl eats in hiding so as to keep up the ruse. And eating out in public is a big no because ‘hawww, logon ko pata chal jayega’ (shame… people will know you’re menstruating).

That is absolutely insane!

People are more concerned about this than they are about common courtesy which requires you not to eat in front of someone who’s hungry. It also reveals another underlying issue in our society, which is that an individual’s choice to fast is made everybody’s business but their own. Pakistani’s love to poke their nose where it doesn’t belong and judge someone for their religious values. There are so many reasons why someone chooses not to fast. Shaming somebody for not fasting is ridiculous and it says a lot more about the person criticizing than it does about the one not fasting.

This whole debate over menstruation is greatly ascribed to what religion commands. Whether you agree or not determines which side you’re on. If you think menstruation isn’t a big deal, rest assured you’ll be labelled a liberal. And if you think it’s a secret worth guarding with your life than there are a tonne of people who think you’re super pious.

Take Malala for example, Pakistanis went insane when she showed support for the movie Padman.

Image source: theunn.com

This picture in particular sparked immense outrage among many holier than thou Pakistanis. In one of Mangobaaz’s articles on the topic, I found some extremely appalling comments that formed the backlash Malala received.

Take a look for yourself

Image source: mangobaaz.com

Not only was she slut shamed but one person even voiced looking forward to her death. And for what? Holding a sanitary pad?! That is concerning and it is a very accurate representation of the pathetic mentality governing our nation. It is illogical to treat menstruation as classified information. Just like consent, boys in our society do not get any education about periods. Yes, they don’t physically menstruate but their mothers, sisters and daughters do. And it is important to tell them that menstruation is a part of female health.

Many women experience immensely painful cramps during their period, limiting their activity and even their mobility in worst cases. AND IT IS IMPORTANT TO TEACH MEN ABOUT ALL OF IT. To teach them to be considerate, take menstruation seriously and mind their own business. Only then will the unjustified slut shaming over menstruation stop. It will also teach young boys to stop nagging their sisters about secretly eating during fasting hours in Ramadan.

The taboo surrounding menstruation needs to be crushed.

Because first of all, it perpetuates the idea that menstruation is something dirty. Which IT IS NOT. And second, because MEN ALREADY KNOW WHAT PERIODS ARE. They just find out through sources other than their teachers and families. And almost always, these sources paint a very twisted picture of periods in a man’s head.

So instead of telling your daughter to hide her sanitary pad, why not tell your son about a phenomenon in health called menstruation?

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