Breaking taboos on menstruation

A group of young professionals, who left their lucrative jobs, have collaborated on generating awareness about women’s menstrual hygiene and breaking the taboo that surrounds it. Led by 25 year-old Varun Narula, the group had organised an event in the city to encourage men and women to speak up on the issues concerning menstrual hygiene. 

The event, titled ‘Period Breaker’, had over 20 speakers across various age groups who spoke on the importance of female hygiene during menstruation. Drawing from real-life experiences, the speakers urged the society to initiate dialogue over menstruation in order to obliterate the stigma attached to it. “Once, my school teacher publicly insulted me for visiting a temple during mestruation,” said a female speaker.

A young man also shared that his parents had asked him to stay away from his sister while she was menstruating, stating reasons that she was ‘impure’He added that he never fathomed the reason behind such stigma.  

The speakers also raised the issue of 12 per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST) being levied on sanitary napkins which make them unaffordable to the economically weaker sections of the society. 

The group also expressed plans to further the initiative to other cities.

PERIOD BREAKER

The event, titled ‘Period Breaker’, had over 20 speakers across various age groups speaking on various issues regarding menstrual hygiene.