I’m going to challenge you today to talk about a subject that isn’t mentioned a whole lot in everyday conversation.
Menstruation.
When’s the last time you’ve had any real conversation about menstruation, if ever?
And, no, complaining about your period or wondering if someone else is one hers does not count as a real conversation.
Think about commercials you’ve seen for sanitary napkins and tampons. Can you name any that don’t focus on hiding your period in a discreet manner?
Chhaupadi shed (foreground). Narci village, Nepal. These huts are where girls and women are kept during menstruation. ‘Chhaupadi’ has come to mean ‘untouchable menstruating woman.’ Photo credit: Poulomi Basu/WaterAid
The fact is that more than 800 million women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49 are menstruating worldwide on a daily basis. While we are all aware women have periods, we don’t like to discuss it. The topic of menstruation is taboo, and it is far worse in the developing world. Girls miss school, women miss work, and many lack access to any form of sanitary napkins, let alone a safe, discreet place to use them. Some girls and women are banished from their homes during their cycle.
Matt Damon, actor and co-founder of Water.org, is curating the ONE Girls and Women blog in June. Being particularly interested in the topics of clean water and sanitation, I was honored to have been asked to write a water-related post for ONE this month.
Inspired by WaterAid’s recent “Manpons” campaign for Menstrual Hygiene Day, I decided to focus on how women and girls who do not have access to clean water and sanitation are affected when they get their period.
Can you imagine what you would do if you got your period in a place without access to pads, tampons, bathrooms or clean water?
Please take a few moments to read my post on ONE about this issue and what is(n’t) being done about it globally.
Read: It’s Time to Talk About Menstruation
Special thanks to WaterAid America for providing me with the resources for this article!
Each Friday, the another jennifer blog shares stories of those who incorporate philanthropy into their everyday lives – personally and professionally – in a creative and unique way. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact Jennifer. Read past stories here.
Such an important issue. Amazing how under discussed this issue and so many other issues affecting women,
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I had never really thought about the implications about women menstruating in certain countries. It’s crazy that something that is related to bringing life into this world is viewed as a sin or dirty. If you think about it, it is a beautiful thing, yet as you said it’s taboo. Why is that? It’s hard to even being to imagine what it must be like to get your period for the first time and have no idea what is happening. I remember the first time I got mine and I knew exactly what was happening and was prepared for it, and yet I was still a little shaky and nervous when it started!
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I certainly had conversations about it lately.. but mostly it’s about who wants it to happen (doesn’t want to be pregnant) and who doesn’t (wants to be pregnant) and of course, those are luxurious conversations to have, aren’t they? We are very lucky.
And my heart aches for so many girls.
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I just read an NPR article on this very same topic. Hopping over to read yours now. Thank you for bringing light to this important issue that usually gets overlooked because people are squeamish.
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This reminds me of The Red Tent… have you read it? It’s now out in a movie too… I simply can’t imagine having my period with no access to water or sanitary supplies. I did NOT know that Matt Damon was the co-founder of Water.org!! Cool. Off to read your piece!!
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Thanks for talking about this important topic that should be talked about a whole lot more than it usually is!