Article From Global Citizen
Author Aaron Rakhetsi
May 28, 2021
These savvy influencers are destigmatizing menstruation with the help of social media.
Why Global Citizens Should?
Menstruation is part of a normal and healthy life for the roughly 26% of the global population who are of reproductive age. People who menstruate should not face stigma or discrimination because of their body’s natural process. The United Nations Global Goal 3 advocates for good health and well-being for everyone. Join the movement by taking action here to help destigmatize menstruation.
Talking about periods or anything that relates to women’s bodies has a long history of being seen as taboo, with activists all over the world working hard to bring educational conversations into the light.
In any one day, more than 800 million women and girls have their periods around the world, but many still face hardships when it comes to getting access to basic water and sanitation to deal with menstruation.
Lack of access to period products like sanitary towels often causes shame and leads to stigmatization of periods, as well as causing girls to miss classes and fall behind at school. This negativity can be attributed to years of treating menstruation as taboo and reinforces the misogynistic views society holds on menstruation.
In many cultures and countries, periods are something that should never be spoken about and must be hidden. For example in India when a woman is menstruating, she is often prohibited from religious and social events, and at times not even allowed to cook. Cloaking menstruation in shame can lead to young girls not learning about their bodies and having no clue what to do (or what's happening) when their periods start, which further perpetuates the stigma surrounding periods.
It is evident that more accessible information on menstruation is needed. The role activists play in raising awareness is vital as they often have platforms to raise awareness and have the ability to influence people, and also educate them.