Several years of studies, such as the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, have confirmed the relationship between a culture and its languages. In order to understand a culture and its traditions, it is imperative first to understand its language.
Despite India being home to many ethnicities and cultures, all of them have limited conversation on menstruation. Each culture has its rituals and traditions for their menstruating women. Between all these multitudes of practices and the languages lies the common thread of shame and embarrassment.
Talking About Menstruation
The language surrounding menstruation does everything it can to hide it, and hence increase the stigma around it. It tends to be vague and unclear – if you don’t know what is being referred to, chances are you will find yourself completely lost in the conversation. After many centuries of periods being labelled “impure”, “unhygienic” and “dirty”, the inherent fear of ignominy present in talking directly about it still affects women, while also perpetuating menstrual unawareness and illiteracy, especially amongst men.
For instance, in Hindi, periods are alluded to by saying ‘mahina chadh gaya’, literally translating into ‘my month has arrived’. Despite Punjabis having the term mahavari (ਮਾਹਵਾਰੀ) exactly meaning menstruation, words like vahina (ਵਹਿਣਾ), meaning ‘month’ are more commonly used.
The English language has a plethora of slangs that are in use: referring to periods as ‘chums’ is common amongst schoolgirls and calling oneself ‘down’ is a stock euphemism as well. “Shark week” is another regular metaphor that is used. This may come from the fact that the cramps that many women suffer from are so severe, they can feel like a shark bite.
This fuzzy language used to talk about menstruation in public, which is the norm, acts as a barrier to open conversation and education. Women are discouraged from a dialogue on the same, for fear of offending others. By continually reinforcing the idea that a woman should be ashamed of her periods, she is made to feel diseased and impure.
This toxic thought process is what she ends up internalising, and that’s what she passes on to the next generation, thus carrying forward this unhealthy stigmatisation. By making her humiliated by it, the society manages to control her movements and ensures that she feels inferior and sticks to the place where they think she is supposed to be.
Menstruation In Tradition
Even cultures that claim to celebrate a girl’s period, such as ‘Manjal Neerattu Vizha’ in Tamil Nadu, comes with its fair share of restrictions. She is to stay in a small kudisai (hut) built only for this purpose, and she is barred from roaming freely. During her periods, she is given separate utensils to use from her family, she is not allowed to enter the family altar, and a priest is called to purify the house.
The language used for any activity or phenomenon tends to describe society’s general attitude towards it. Passed down through generations, the language, and as a result, the prevailing attitude becomes too profoundly entrenched for it to be taken out quickly.
In order to bring about a change in the culture regarding menstruation, it is necessary to change the language we use to talk about it. Open conversations are needed to bring menstruation to the forefront. And no more whispering or euphemisms, women need to be loud about it! For being loud has always won women their battles, and being loud is the best way to drown out the voices that are belittling, and march on.
The author is a part of the current batch of the #PeriodParGyan Writer’s Training Program