She walks home with a thick viscous between her legs, contractions sharper than the pain of a heart attack, she is paralyzed with fear but keeps marching, one small foot in front of the other. As she moves, she configures a plan, a story, how she will look her mother dearest in the eyes and tell her that the red plague has her. She arrives, in her mother’s arms she cries, “cancer has me, I have cancer and I am going to die.” Her mother simply replies, “you are now a woman.” This is the story of Khushi, a girl from Northern India, this is why we do what we do at Resilient Woman.
In the world, periods are either stigmatized or never talked about, a rock or a hard place. Picture this, whispers filling the school corridors – Mary is having her period, or Jane is ‘monster-rating.’ What of Nancy, fidgeting in her seat, telling her friends she will catch up with them, afraid of red tell-tale mark on her skirt. It’s better to die than have other girls know that the red plague has come to visit, but for a boy to know – is a fate worse than death. All this for something a girl cannot control. This girl is someone’s sister and someone’s daughter – why all the fear of something so natural and life affirming.
At Resilient women we work to educate women on the importance of menstrual hygiene management, provide quality pads, de-stigmatize periods and end period poverty. Nevertheless, we work to no avail without the cooperation and crucial aid of men and boys. Men have the responsibility to step up and help end the stigma. Men populate crucial roles in forming girls’ identities, as teachers, mentors, brothers, uncles and most importantly fathers. Therefore, it is important to involve men at an early age into the conversation of menstruation.
Resilient Woman is deliberate about involving boys and men for more sustainable solutions. We have a coaching Boys to Men program, to create champions against gender-based violence, training them to be respectful of women and girls. During Menstrual Hygiene day we bring boys on board to break the taboo around Menstruation by help them understand the needs girls have during their period and how to support them. Menstruation is not a women’s issue; it is a human rights issue and must be involved. #jointheconversation
