Periods don't stop for Pandemics

The coronavirus is a pandemic that has struck the world with overwhelming intensity, and besides the healthcare emergency that has taken over the world, it is more than safe to say that daily life has been greatly altered.

Menstrual hygiene might be one of the last topics you hear on the news amidst this madness, but this topic deserves your attention as much as the others.

Can you imagine the plight of a healthcare worker, who in a PPE suit continuously faces an onslaught of patients, with less or no resources to keep a check on bleeding during periods? Or perhaps a migrant worker, who amidst a hovering stigma on menstruation, waiting to reach home or even taking care of her family might as well resort to a dirty and soiled cloth for her needs?

All this when only 6 months ago a so-called “godman” had the audacity to say that menstruating women who cook for their husbands will be reborn as female dogs and those who eat that food as bullocks? Is this the standard at which the complete illogic of certain minds in our country stands at?

A study by the Menstrual Health Alliance of India revealed that the closure of educational institutes and communities has severely degraded the supply of menstrual hygiene products, especially in rural areas. Due to lack of supplies, and even resources like water or clean washrooms, many girls and women resort to minimizing use and exposing themselves to dangerous infections caused by poor menstrual hygiene, including cervical cancer.

All are not for the worst though. In 32 slums of Odisha’s Berhampur, 400 teenage girls proudly displayed red dots on their hands in order to fight against the stigma they face, which has evolved into a “red Mehendi” campaign. From 14 members the number grew to 400, pressing women around to speak up for their rights and distributing sanitary napkins around to gain support.

There are numerous NGOs, like Sacchi Saheli, Sukarma Foundation etc who are on the go since the lockdown began to distribute period essentials, especially in economically backward areas, so that women recognise and fulfil their needs during this harsh period.

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Writer: Mannat Kandal

Image courtesy: Getty Images