Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Period taboos need to be demolished, and we should talk about it openly with even the men in the family - here's why.
Period taboos need to be demolished, and we should talk about it openly with even the men in the family – here’s why.
Recently, we were traveling abroad as a family, and on one such day my daughter had a heavy flow on her first day of her period. We had gone out that day, and she was feeling uncomfortable with the heavy flow. She conveyed the same to all of us – me, her father and elder brother.
My husband immediately cut short the rest of the day’s sightseeing, and we returned to the hotel. My husband assured her that nothing mattered more than her comfort.
What is important is that she could comfortably discuss about her mood swings and the heavy flow in front of her father and brother, and both took great care of her.
Discussion regarding menstruation needs to be normalized in every family. A girl/woman faces physical and emotional issues every month. Instead of keeping quiet about it and bearing it in silence, or shunning it as a taboo topic, she needs to convey it to her family.
My husband and I have always been open with our growing-up children. I had told my son about menstruation when he was 11 years old. It has helped immensely as now he understands my PMS, his sister’s discomfort and knows that all girls need to be understood during these days. It’s like a normal discussion, no embarrassment, no discomfort.
That day once again I was happy that my daughter could discuss about hormones and period freely with the men of our home. It gives a great sense of freedom. The boys also become more compassionate once they know about the issues that the girls/women face.
Like all the other topics, let menstruation be also discussed freely in all the families and not shunned as a taboo topic. This is also a part of women empowerment and emancipation.
Image source: shutterstock
I am a travel expert by profession and an avid blogger by passion. Parenting and women's issues are something that are close to my heart and I blog a lot about them. read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
Please enter your email address