Artifact 5: Menstruation

Throughout the world, a young girls’ coming of age is often marked by various natural life experiences. One of these common occurrences is menstruation, the process of a female shedding her uterine lining when the egg that has been produced has not been fertilized. In most countries, this process is just part of everyday life, however in some remote parts of the world it is considered unclean and filthy. Because of this lack of knowledge of bodily systems, the living conditions for women in communities where they are shamed for menstruation are significantly more primitive and dirty than imaginable. The lack of hygiene supplies has led to women becoming more prone to diseases in countries such as Nepal and in Africa where this is common. A woman being on her period comes with an unthinkable stigma compared to what’s acceptable in American society. Proper education and the availability of supplies can create a more sound environment for women and lift the cultural taboo that comes with menstruation.

When a girl hits puberty, one of the first things to occur is for her to get her period. What may seem common to us in the United States, carries with it a significant taboo in third world countries in the Middle East and Africa. The lack of proper education and supplies have created an environment for women that is disgusting by all standards. In Nepal, when a women is on her period, she is sent to live outside of the household in a mud hut where she will live until her period is over. The men in villages where this occurs believe that a woman on her period will bring misfortune to crops he may be harvesting and is not a good thing to have around simply because they think it is gross. Women who live in these condition also have to deal with lack of proper supplies or even clean underwear. This makes women more susceptible to diseases not only because of the cleanliness issue but also because all women have to be in the hut when on their period. Meaning if multiple women are on their period together, they will all be in there together sometimes up to 20 at a time. It’s imperative for men in these villages to realize that the health of their daughters and wives, etc. is at risk because of this “tradition” and accessibility to proper hygiene supplies is a necessity to mitigate health concerns.

Help Received: Class discussions, videos on Canvas