Women's Views on News |
| Posted: 05 Jul 2016 02:23 AM PDT
Most girls do not have enough information when they start their periods. They remember having sex education, but it never really prepared them for their menses. Most will say, when asked, if asked, that they were horrified and frightened and too ashamed to turn to their mothers for help. Lots of girls do share their period stories when actually asked, but otherwise there is a form of unique solidarity – determination – to keep it underground. This could be for many reasons, but the consequences can be dire sometimes. They suffer silently with things like endometritis or cervical cancer, not knowing what the signs are, and if or when to ask for help. If the conversation around menstruation was normalised then boys and men could support their wives, sisters, friends and mothers with something that women are largely left to deal with alone. If the conversation around menstruation was normalised, we would no longer see blue liquid in advertisements which play their own role in this big secret. The tampon tax being on its way out is a sign that things can be changed. It is imperative that girls are equipped with enough knowledge to understand their period biologically, and are prepared emotionally so that they understand how they feel and that they are allowed to feel that for the rest of their lives. And we need to shatter the silence around periods so that women and girls are not afraid to seek medical help when they need it. Binti International has developed an educational programme for girls that covers everything that a girl should know. This class/programme can – and should – be presented to boys because it is important that they understand menstruation and do not feel too embarrassed or disgusted to talk about it. It can be taught when the current sex education is provided. And it can be revisited by girls when they are at the stage of wanting or needing to know. But, as girls can start their periods as young as 9, it is also important to teach them about this topic as a standalone component before they menstruate. Binti International assists entrepreneurial, self-help women groups to create micro factories to produce, distribute and sell low cost sanitary towels within their local communities. It also organises educational programmes for the wider community and educate communities about periods. Binti International is also currently collecting support for petitioning the Education Department and Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State Minister for Women and Equalities, for menstruation education for every girl. The founder and CEO of Binti is Manjit K. Gill. Her role as a mentor for a business woman in Kenya with the Cherie Blair Foundation led her to start this project. As a British Indian, providing basic hygiene for women in India has become her obsession, and she is determined to making a change. Gill's mission for Binti is to create a huge, social impact and generating a sustainable organisation, and Binti is currently operating projects in India and Nairobi. "When I discovered that there were women in the world who did not have access to sanitary towels I was horrified," she said. "I'm not sure why I was so moved but it may have something to do with understanding how difficult life can be during menstruation even in our world."  |
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