I am a woman. And my body does all that a woman’s body does. I bleed from my vagina five days a month. Yes, I menstruate. I did not opt for this. Trust me, if I had a choice I would not have signed up for this monthly torture. I am from a middle class family and I can afford sanitary napkins. That is not the case with all women. Most of us cannot afford mestrual hygiene. Why? The government is fixated on taxing for being female. Health and hygiene is a necessity that the government is entitled to provide us with.
Condoms are tax free. Why? Because sex is an uncontrollable biological need. I agree. You are saving the population from STIs. Sindoor is tax free. Why? Because it is a basic neccesity that should be available to all for safe practice of patriarchy. Bravo! But who is going to save the 88% of girls in this country who bleed into rags, newspapers and plastic during their periods. Can’t shove sindoor or condoms up there to stop the bleeding , can we!?
It is high time that we start talking about this. It is high time we stop wrapping this topic up in newspapers and pouring blue liquid over it. A woman’s hygiene is not her sole responsibility. It is the community’s responsibility to make it available to her, free of cost. Help us bleed safe.