This #MHDay28May we decided to take up a mission. We wanted to make the online community think about and talk about one of the most crucial biological processes in women that needs more limelight. Periods.
Period blood is considered gross and impure. Girls and Women everywhere struggle with the shame and taboo around this subject, so much so that close to 66% of girls have no idea about what menstruation is till they get their first period. Menstrupedia Comic was created with the intent to solve this issue and we are so happy to let you all know that as of MHDay 2016, we have managed to reach 24000 girls all over the world with period education. To make sure that many more girls have access to this comic book from anywhere in the world, we have launched the digital version of Menstrupedia Comic today. Play the 1st chapter here.
In another initiative that we’ve been working towards this whole month, we managed to bring together people from all over the world to build the World’s First Ever Crowd-Sourced Period Poster Collective – a collection of period positive posters that are quirky, bold and out there for everyone to see! We asked people to embrace their menstrual cycles as their own, as a part of their beautiful bodies and talk about them in a positive light. We got some incredible submissions that we have put together for you below.
You can also see the complete album of posters on Facebook and let them know what you think about them here. Here’s wishing all of you a very happy Menstrual Hygiene Day! Be Period Positive!
Submitted by Dipantor Talukdar: He says “The idea behind this artwork was to depict a new generation of young fearless women bringing about a change by embracing periods rather than being ashamed of it, by destroying the vicious circle of menstrual taboo and inspiring other women to do the same”
Submitted by Meghan, founder of Shomota Women:The story behind the poster: I live in a poor community in Kolkata. A lot of women use old rags and cloth for their period. They wash and then dry them in dark corner in their rooms, leading to health problems. And all because they are ashamed to hang them outside. As we teach people how to use our cloth pads, hopefully we are teaching them not to be ashamed, but to be period positive!Submitted by Kaanchi Chopra: Kaanchi says”I believe that there is lack of teaching about menstrual health in schools. Apart from that, it stuns me how many restrictions one is put under when one is on our period. Do not visit the temple, do not play, do not wear white, do not this , do not that. Friends in school are ashamed to take out pads from their bags because other people might see it. Women in localities carry the whisper or stayfree packets in white polythenes so that the packets are hidden and no one views them. All of us need to realize that periods are a part of growing up, it enables our body to reproduce individuals and one should take pride in it. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about or be ashamed of. The people of our society should accept and embrace period positivity. More importantly, spreading awareness and information about the same should start in schools and homes from a young age.”
Submitted by Shreeja Chakraborty: No shame, just pride.Submitted by Debadarshinee Mohapatra: She says “As a design enthusiast, I feel usage of Menstrual Cup can bring positivity to menstruation related issues for women. For acceptability of this product, I choose to voluntarily create this poster and would like to see the society be positive about this change.”
Submitted by AMOEBAK.Submitted by Palashi Vaghela and Aditi Gupta: “I am this blood. This blood is me. I will not be ashamed of who I am.”
Submitted by Parinda Gandevikar, art work by Aditi Gupta: I want period positively as I don’t want to be a secret service agent every time I have to dispose a sanitary pad.
Submitted by Angana Prasad Program Manager and Menstrual Hygiene Educator at Project KHELSubmitted by The Ladies Finger
Submitted by – MenstrupediaSubmitted by Medha Kulkarni: “When she bleeds the smells I know change colour. There is iron in her soul on those days. She smells like a gun.” ― Jeanette Winterson, Written on the Body
Submitted by Debadarshinee Mohapatra: “I was a curious kid. So i used to implement advertisements in real. About Sanitary pads ,they usually show it with a blue ink on it . As i have two elder sisters ,so it was easy for me to experiment with the sanitary pad and blue ink theory. Yes I did it. And I was even happy with the results
