Savitri Singh (name changed) belongs to the Gond community from Madhya Pradesh. Gond is a tribal community and mainly resides in Central India. Savitri didi is in her late 20s.
Once, during a conversation with her, I learnt that when on their menstruation, womxn are not allowed to cook or touch the food. Meekly, she said: “Aurat ko achhut mana jata hai jab mahina lagta hai (A womxn is considered untouchable when she is on her period).”
The conversation with Savitri didi was a grim reminder of the stigmas a womxn has to face while she is on her period. Further, it reminded me of an incident where a godman once commented, “Menstruating women who cook food for husbands will be reborn as dogs.”
It has always made me think why period as a biological process is so misunderstood. What makes menstruating womxn so impure? Isn’t it a human rights violation? What about the dignity of a menstruating womxn?
Concerns Of Human Rights Violation
It is said that in earlier times, womxn were not allowed to cook or do any household chores while menstruating to ensure the health and recuperation period of the womxn, but today, the same practice with time has become a way to ensure subordination of a womxn. Today, these practices and believes have become a grave concern and deny human rights and dignity of a womxn.
The United Nations defines human rights as “rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. We are all equally entitled to our human rights without discrimination. These rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible.”
Yet, a menstruating womxn is denied human rights. She is denied the dignity to use safe and clean toilets, access to menstrual product and dignified menstrual cycle. During menstruation, a womxn is excluded from public life. According to a survey reported by Youth Ki Awaaz, 15.5% of respondents have heard of prohibition on cooking during periods, whereas 51% have witnessed isolation during periods. Unfortunately, the discrimination faced by womxn staying in villages is much more than that faced by urban womxn. The form of discrimination Savitri didi and other womxn have to face makes the biological process unpleasant.
Constitutional Rights Are Not Safeguarded
Besides a menstruating womxn’s human rights, even her Constitutional rights are not safeguarded. Article 21 states that, “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to the procedure established by law.” For many menstruating womxn, every month for 4-8 days, her personal liberty is at stake. Her movement is restricted, life put at risk, and she is excluded from public space. Remember, in the early 2020, when a bunch of 68 girls in Kutch were stripped naked for their menstrual status? Yes, it happened in 2020. The young girls’ dignity was also stripped off.
Violation of Human Rights, Constitutional Rights and dignity during menstruation makes a womxn a lot more vulnerable. The shackles of secrecy, taboo and stigma around menstruation need to be broken. We as a community need to assure menstrual justice to each and every person who bleeds. Further, justice, liberty, equality and fraternity also include menstruating womxn and the regressive cultural practices are ignoring these basic rights of womxn.
It is a need of the hour to challenge the obnoxious practices and regressive cultural norms that deny womxn who bleed their freedom. Like Hillary Clinton had said, “Women Rights are also Human Rights.”