menstruation Archives

“Period Room” in Public Toilets: Maharashtra Leads the Way in Gender-Sensitive Public Facilities

The Period Room, a public toilet in Thane, Maharashtra, targets people who need it the most: slum dwellers. Having a unit of public space dedicated to menstruation is empowering for women whose needs and struggles are otherwise relegated to low-priority, ignored, or rendered invisible.

Rhea Arora July 18, 2016

Culture

Putting the Sab in Sabarimala: The Kerala Temple’s Lesson in Inclusion

The verdict in the Sabarimala hearing is a reminder that Indian religious institutions need to finally end their deep-seated prejudice toward women devotees. Which is why, the Sabarimala judgment isn’t a win – it’s only the start.

Arré Bench July 12, 2016

Health

PCOS, the Condition Every Other Indian Woman Experiences But Doesn’t Talk About

When Sara Ali Khan spoke about PCOS on a Koffee with Karan episode, I screamed, “Go girl”. I’d had the disorder – which affects one in 10 Indian women – for years before I sought help for it. But if it is so common, why are we so afraid and ashamed to talk about it?

Mavis D'Silva July 8, 2016

Gender

Finding My Feminism in a Menstrual Cup

I started using the menstrual cup more than 15 years after I got my first period and it was the first time I engaged with my menses. I no longer loathed “that time of the month”. With every cycle I understood my body a little better, embraced it a little more

Oishorjyo June 22, 2016

POV

Sabarimala vs Triple Talaq: Dear PM, There’s No Choice Between Hindu & Islamic Oppression of Women

In a rare interview, PM Modi stated that banning triple talaq has helped secure gender equality, but the Sabarimala ban on women is a tradition that has nothing to do with discrimination. But if treating women’s bodies as sacrilege isn’t blatant discrimination, what is?

Kahini Iyer June 7, 2016

Features

Why Indian Fathers Must Talk to Their Daughters About Periods

The father is often an absent figure in a young girl’s journey to womanhood. But why should it be that way? If fathers talked to their daughters about menstruation, we’d have men who were less judgmental, more empathetic, and overall compassionate individuals.

Karanjeet Kaur May 30, 2016

Gender

Blood on the Bathroom Floor

Dear advertisers of sanitary napkins, you’ve convinced an entire generation that “ultra-thin pads” can help us conquer the world in tight white pants. But some of us leak through the widest and longest pads, and bleed like a fountain.

Amrita Paul May 29, 2016

Gender

Cramps, Painkillers, and Tears: Why Every Woman Should Have the Right to Take Menstrual Leave

India needs a menstrual leave policy – in the long term, it will likely pave the way for more women-friendly workplaces. It will help remove misconceptions surrounding menstruation, lift the stigma associated with it, and normalise period talk. And hopefully help people understand that there’s nothing “impure” about it.

Hitesha Phukan May 18, 2016

Gender

Why Do So Many Women Treat Period Leave as a Sign of Weakness?

The period leave debate was bound to cause a stir, but we didn’t know that the opposition would come from many women. The antipathy shows us that we can only celebrate “exceptional” women, who succeed in a world & workplace tailored for men, but stop short of levelling the field for ordinary women.

Kahini Iyer May 16, 2016

Bollywood

PadMan Review: Stained by Clichés. Period.

In his latest socially conscious outing, PadMan, Akshay Kumar lends his support to women empowerment, and his wife, the self-proclaimed Mrs Funnybones, is by his side. R Balki may be credited as the director of PadMan, but it is in fact Khanna’s very expensive Juhu lens that dominates much of the film.

Poulomi Das May 13, 2016