Normalizing menstruation empowers equality. Period.

Every month, millions of adolescent girls around the world are experiencing the struggles of the miserable cycle of pain, cramps and aches, shame, discomfort and anxiety. Now let's be quick about this topic. I didn't plan on blogging about this but it just popped out of my mind while typing the previous blog before this.

I've read from somewhere before that she had an experience one time wherein she was at school and she had her period. She then asked her friend from a higher grade level if she has a sanitary pad, that girl had none that time, so what that girl did was--she went into her classroom, stood in front and shouted it to the whole class. 

The girl was taken aback with her friend's action and almost hid behind the wall thinking that she would be made fun of and mortified. However, she was surprised that no one made face, not even a single guy, laughed and said anything bad about it. Instead everybody, including boys and girls, started searching. Isn't that nice?

I mean, people shouldn't be disgusted by it nowadays. It is time to finally abolish the absurd silence and shame that shroud this natural biological event. Menstruation, a sign of good health, must be normalized, and celebrated. Right?

Source: Google Photos (Pinterest/We Heart It)

Of course, I also have my own story for that. I was in 7th grade when I unexpectedly had my monthly period. I didn't have any emergency pad with me, for I was young back then and not very prepared for unpredictable events.

I told my friends that and secretly asked if they had, unfortunately, we're all the same who had none. It was our break at that moment, so we're lucky that we could buy a pad at the canteen. But then, the canteen doesn't have sanitary pads for sale. 

I thought I was unlucky and that day was not my fortunate day. However, a 7th grader student like us who's close enough at our spot might've heard our commotion. She approached us and told me that she has an extra pad in her bag. 

So, on the other hand, we're still lucky enough to stumble upon a generous and compassionate girl. Imagine? She was about to buy her snack and eat, but she chose to give me a hand first. We went back to the classrooms and went on theirs to get her extra and give it to me. In fact, she gave me her whole pouch which contains her extra pads and tissues. I'm really grateful for Jamhel's generosity (I do hope she'll see this), until now, our first encounter belongs to the most memorable ones.

My point here is that: menstruation as a taboo is not about manners or decency. Alienating conversations about menstruation, hiding menstrual hygiene products, and worse, shaming women for leaking or mentioning their periods, only perpetuates the stigma of it. 

This fuels insecurities in girls about their bodies, and limits their capacities to ask for help or seek their own normalcy. Furthermore, it limits men’s capacities to develop empathy for their counterparts who are performing the same jobs they are whilst losing significant amounts of blood and suffering side effects ranging from pains and cramps to fatigue and even debilitating migraines. Perpetuating the stigma of menstruation limits the development of girls and women in the world, and is in direct contrast to the teachings of the equality of rights between men and women.

Menstruation is nothing to be ashamed of, because it's part of what makes us human.