Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed annually around the world to raise awareness regarding its challenges. This week, You! takes a look at a public service drive held on the occasion in one of the slums of Karachi...
Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed annually around the world to raise awareness regarding its challenges. This week, You! takes a look at a public service drive held on the occasion in one of the slums of Karachi...
On an average, a woman goes through 350 periods in her lifetime; but unfortunately, she is expected to figure out the dos and don’ts of menstruation along the way herself. In most cultures, women often have to refer euphemisms for menstruation while talking about it in a public setting because otherwise, it is considered ‘offensive’. Among all the taboos, myths and chaos that surround periods, there’s hardly any open conversation about women’s health. As a result, the impact often leads to significant challenges in menstrual management, adverse reproductive health outcomes, social ostracisation, disease, and even death. To address these issues, Menstrual Hygiene Day (MH Day) is observed annually on 28th May, worldwide. It is a global platform that brings together non-profits, government agencies, the private sector, the media and individuals to promote Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM). The day raises awareness of the challenges women and girls worldwide face due to their periods and highlights solutions that address these challenges, especially through media work.
In Pakistan, studies have suggested that girls have very limited knowledge on menstruation and related hygiene practices. Most girls start their periods uninformed and unprepared to deal with because this information is only shared after they have had their first cycle. In fact, according to a research conducted by Real Medicine Foundation in 2017, a non-profit organisation working to improve the health sector in disaster-hit regions, it was found that 79% of Pakistani women were not properly managing menstrual hygiene due to lack of information.
Recently, MH Day was also observed in Pakistan, where public service drives were held to spread awareness regarding MHM. One such drive was held in Karachi by ‘HER Pakistan’ - an initiative started by two sisters, Sana and Sumaira, who wanted to help remove the stigma around menstruation. “Menstrual hygiene drive is one of HER Pakistan’s many upcoming initiatives where we reach out to these women and hold awareness sessions about menstruation. We also address old wives’ tales, bust myths about periods and provide them with a month’s supply of sanitary products,” says Sumaira.
“We aim to transform women into healthy, empowered and resilient individuals to face the world with more confidence by providing them with knowledge and skills that enable them to create their own safe and healthy futures. We hope this will uplift women so they can at least stand up for their very basic rights and menstrual management is one of them,” she enthuses.
Over 25 women from underprivileged backgrounds and 11 volunteers gathered at Rabia’s house, a domestic worker residing in Old-Golimar, where these women shared their thoughts and learned about hygiene during that time of the month.
Many of these women don’t have the means to afford and use a sanitary pad during their periods. They mostly use the traditional cotton cloth, for it helps them save money and they find it easier to wash and reuse it. However, they have to wash the cloth even if they are disposing it, as suggested by their elders. Moreover, they have to dry it as discreetly as possible, so as to keep it hidden from the men at home. According to them, using pads is no less than a luxury. They say that they use pads occasionally, particularly when stepping out of their homes.
The instructor at the awareness session explained different aspects about the menstrual cycle: why women go through pain during this time, how to deal with it and how every woman’s body reacts differently while menstruating. The women were convinced to use sanitary pads, in order to avoid getting rashes and infections, as well as feel comfortable while performing their routine work. One of the volunteers shared her observations after the drive, noting that even in high stratum of the society, there isn’t enough talk about the matter. “I have felt so deeply about menstrual hygiene unawareness since the day I got my very first period. Owing to my privilege, the conditions weren’t inappropriate but the dialogue around it was missing. A lot of us aren’t even told about what the period is and how to deal with it, unless we experience it ourselves, and that’s what we are changing now. I volunteered in this initiative to document the need for menstrual hygiene awareness in women,” shares Manal Khan, a videographer. “As we met different age groups, we realised how sanitary napkins weren’t something new for the girls of this generation, but the elder women are surely taking their time to understand the benefits that revolve around using them provided that the conversation begins someday,” she adds.
While speaking to the scribe, co-founder Sana talked about why this initiative is so important for Pakistan. “It is only when you step out of your comfort zone that you see what all is happening around you. Our work in the development sector allows us to visit rural areas in several parts of Pakistan. These communities are socially, geographically and economically marginalised. And amid several other problems, women health and hygiene remain one of the most unattended fields. Unfortunately, these taboos are prevalent even in the most educated and privileged societies. So, you can imagine what the situation would be in the underserved areas where women do not have access to water and washrooms, let alone sanitary products. The MHM presents significant challenges for women all over Pakistan, especially in lower income settings. About 79% Pakistani women do not manage their period hygienically and it’s time we do something about that,” she concludes.
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Women and HER Volunteers at Rabia's house after a session on Menstrual Hygiene
