Who’s not excited about festivals? Everyone is I guess, even an atheist like me. I mean I just love that part where people are really excited about decorations, you can draw, paint, paste around and no one scolds you rather you are being praised.
NIFT was a new experience for me, like in every way possible. So, it was my college fest and I was helping with things. My friends were waiting for me to come and have dinner together and I was expected to reach where they were in an hour. Time passed away and I don’t know when my perfect pair of white shorts were red and by the time I did realise it was quite miserable. And honestly all I was thinking at that moment was “Not my white shorts you dumb head, it’s my fav”.
School was much different, I remember how one stain made me feel embarrassed. I won’t blame my school in particular as I was in of the best Schools of Gaya. I’ll blame this stereotypical society instead. This cultural construct has caged Women for years now. Yet It’s time to change the game.
Veera(name’s changed) told me how she never bought sanitary napkins for herown self. She always saw them in black Polly bags and coming out of her place, she feels much more confident about herself. She once told me how college has been so good to her for this matter as she never spoke about menstruation and now she goes and buys her own pads.
These small stories makes us question how even in this 21st century women still goes through the same things. I could have panicked that day but I didn’t. It was just a red patch which wasn’t something unnatural. I have always adored the colour red, It’s dangerous and Lovely at the same time. But now It’s more like a story for me. I think for breaking stereotypes we first must learn how to accept and love ourselves.
Talking about the very elderly, they have been fed the same notion for years. So It’ll take time. All we need is awareness and knowledge.
Also, the Power to stand up for one’s own self and for those who’re suffering. Most of the girls are unaware about menstruation until they come through it, me being one of them too. In India less than 20%(data by The Print) of females use sanitary pads. When people don’t have awareness they don’t see this as a health need and till now society doesn’t accept it. This leads to girls leaving school at early ages.
What we need?? Well, awareness, acceptance and accessibility. When people will be aware , they’ll accept things and then things should be accessible.
We can’t do it all alone, we need to support each other. People in Power need to help, be it the celebrities, influencers, the government, NGO’s and the MNC’s.
Things would make out a way only if everyone comes together to work for the better. Only then can we break this “Taboo”.