Education is one of the best ways to empower our youth. The way young children are taught about things defines the attitude they hold towards it in future. This holds true especially when young children are taught about sensitive matters, like the changes that their body will go through during puberty, even more so when it comes to menstruation. Hence, it is of great significance to teach properly, in an open and positive environment, without traces of shame and hesitation.
Learning About Periods
Menstrual education in India is, sadly but unsurprisingly, beyond abysmal. The inherent stigmatisation and shame that comes from talking, and thus teaching about menstruation, lead to poor imparting of crucial information and, in turn, incomplete knowledge. According to a survey on Menstrual Hygiene in India, while 97.3% of the people surveyed considered menstruation to be a biological process, 11% had no idea about this concept until they had their first period, and almost 19% were confused about it. This translates to almost one in five girls.
I was that one in five girls. It is more likely than you think that a girl you know is that one out of five girls.
Shocking? Yes. But this is just the beginning.
Though menstruation is a topic taught in schools at Class 8 level to 13-year-olds just entering adolescence, it is not something taken seriously by boys. This may derive from a combination of the way this matter is dealt with in schools by teachers, and at home by the family structure. It is common for teachers who are menstruators to shy away from teaching this the way it should be taught due to internalised shame in merely talking about menstruation. When seminars are held in schools, they are held only for the girls, deepening the divide. Even when the subject is taught well in schools, most boys are under the impression that this is not a topic they need to be bothered by, because it is a “girl problem”.
This mental block is something that comes from the attitude of our families as well. Since they are not made familiar with menstruation in the right manner, boys find it hard to relate to this topic. They may also be privy to insensitive jokes and comments like, “Your sister is being overly emotional — is she on her period?,” which create prejudices and further hamper their understanding of it.
Teachers need to be trained to handle this topic sensitively and students need to be tested on it. School syllabi need to be made more student-friendly and inclusive, taking in experiences of different communities and cultures. Instead of only teaching technical terms, students need to be taught the different ways of dealing with it, and health issues that may arise due to unhygienic and improper handling of the biological process.
It is also the responsibility of the school to ensure that their students are given a safe space to talk, discuss and learn about menstruation, and that there is easy access to necessities such as tampons and pads. Perhaps, a strategy such as the “mid-day meal” scheme, which incentivised students to come to school on the pretext of getting a free meal, can be devised to motivate girl students to stay in and come to school even when on their periods. This will help decrease the number of students that drop out of schools once they start menstruating. Currently, this number stands at 23%, i.e. over one in every five girls.
Teaching About Periods
Young children are often much smarter than we give them credit for. It is generally agreed upon by doctors and experts that by the time children turn 8-9 years old, they gain the ability to understand the concept of menstruation in simplistic terms. The average age of children hitting puberty is decreasing all over the world, and this makes it all the more important for children to be aware of and prepared for the changes their bodies will go through.
When teaching girls about periods, whether at home or school, it is important to reinforce it as a necessary yet good change. Yes, periods come with their fair share of problems such as cramps, headaches and mood swings, but they are a part of the wonderful process that enables them to have children and become mothers some day if they wish to. It is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.
Children’s curiosities are already piqued due to advertisements for sanitary napkins on television. This can be a good place to start the conversation about periods. Even if they don’t ask there, it is up to the parents to ensure that they educate their children about the subject. By doing this, children get to know that they can discuss such topics with their parents. They know that if they want to know more about menstruation or need solutions to their menstrual problems, they have a place to go to. An open conversation like this allows for barriers regarding such topics to be broken down, leading girls and boys to get more comfortable with the topic.
The lack of conversation, especially within the family structure, is one of the reasons why children and later women, hesitate to talk about periods openly. Teaching and learning about menstruation can be improved to a major extent by an open conversation. If such topics are normalised at the home and family level, girl will feel more confident talking about it at a public level or in public spaces. In school spaces, they will learn to interact on this topic with people from different backgrounds about different traditions and myths that need to be debunked.
In order to create a future generation that is not stigmatised by the mere mention of menstruation, it is vital that comprehensive education is provided at a young age starting now. This passing on of proper information about periods is what will help create a world where anyone can ask anything about the menstrual cycle, and not feel embarrassed by it.