As an added bonus WE are offering a GIVE AWAY on a medical-grade silicone menstrual cup to 2 individuals who share their views on periods on Simply Suparnaa’s Instagram. The GIVE AWAY is in collaboration with Stonesoup.in Why are WE doing this? Keep reading

Challenging Misinformation

Despite advancements in urban settings, misinformation about feminine hygiene products still prevails. Commercial pads and tampons, often laden with plastics and chemicals, pose risks to both our bodies and the planet. It’s time to dispel these myths and explore better alternatives.

The Wisdom of Tradition

In India, where cotton is abundant, we have a rich heritage of using cotton sarees to manage menstruation. This age-old practice not only ensures comfort but also aligns with sustainability. Cotton sarees can be easily disposed of and naturally decompose over time, minimizing environmental impact.

Prioritizing Women’s Health

Just as we choose organic, chemical-free foods for our well-being, it’s crucial to extend the same principle to feminine hygiene. Commercial sanitary pads and tampons can introduce harmful substances into our bodies. Tampons, in particular, have been associated with Toxic Shock Syndrome. By opting for natural and organic options, we can safeguard our health.

Breaking the Stigma

Periods have long been shrouded in silence and shame. It’s time to change that. Let’s foster open conversations about menstrual health, eradicating taboos, and empowering women to embrace their bodies fully. By talking openly about periods, we can create a supportive environment that encourages education and understanding.

Social Media Giveaway

To further promote open discussions on periods, we are excited to announce a social media giveaway! Share your views and experiences on periods using the hashtag #LetsTalkPeriod, and you could win a medical-grade silicone cup—a sustainable and comfortable alternative for menstrual care. Join the movement and help us spread awareness.

Instastories

maanasadevi12
It’s part of every woman’s life. Proper care and personal hygiene are very important during those days. Young girls they should have awareness about their first period ie what are periods what we do during periods why we get periods and how to face them. Mainly teenage girls must know and have awareness because when they see the first period they get shocked and fearful because it’s blood and the girl feels very weak. How to take proper care during periods also needs to be known some classes should be taken. girls and women should know some home remedies, period care essentials like menstrual cups, and how to handle cramps. And family mother, father, sis or bro, boyfriend or husband should be supportive not treating them like untouchables. Boys mothers should also teach boys what are periods and what females grow through during that time so that boys can understand that pain and support them rather than seeing it as something unknown.

riospamzzzz

Back in school, a guy in my class pulled out a sanitary napkin from a friend’s bag. He stood on the desk holding it high up for everyone to see. He went on shouting “XXX is on her period!! xxx is on her period” and threw it on someone.
Everyone went from yewww to yuckk, running away as if it was an asteroid.
When we girls felt deeply hurt and embarrassed, the girl who was on her period spoke loud and clear.
Yes, I am on my period. So was your mother and so is your sister. If not for it, you wouldn’t be here. If you have a problem with it, then you probably are mentally sick. Get yourself checked.
The class learned a lesson. It’s not the period that’s disgusting, but the person who feels that way.

Keep sharing your views and stand a chance to win the medical-grade silicone cups from Stonesoup. Winners will be announced on 23rd May 2023.

WE are passionate about debunking misinformation, promoting sustainable menstrual practices, and empowering women to make informed choices. By embracing traditional wisdom, advocating for chemical-free options, and encouraging open conversations, we can create a healthier and more sustainable future. Let’s break the silence, #LetsTalkPeriod!

The post Let’s Talk Period: Empowering Women through Sustainable Menstrual Practices appeared first on Woman Endangered.

Last year, I reached out to Ruma Roka, who has been a SABERA awardee, to discuss the idea of the #LetsTalkPeriod session at the Noida Deaf Society. It would require a sign language interpreter to communicate the session to the girls and their mothers, who would also be invited to the 90-minute workshop followed by hot samosas and a soft drink.

On the 25th day of January 2023, WE conducted our very first session with a classroom of girls with hearing impairment along with some of their mothers. The girls were interactive from the word go and had lots of questions, observations, and comments. It was heartening to see that they weren’t shy to express their views on Periods or Menstrual hygiene! Maybe their inability to hear has cocooned them of the social constructs and taboos!

Their openness and confidence definitely reflected the safe space that the Noida Deaf Society and its teachers provide for them to help them live well-rounded life despite their disabilities. I was apprised of some horror stories of how deaf girls are extremely vulnerable and can be subject to exploitation by their own teachers. Being visually able, young deaf girls like all other teenagers, like to dress up and look good. There have been cases where the teachers have exploited them sexually, in the lure of a dress or jeans, the heinous acts being hidden in the girls’ inability to speak up for themselves.

We gifted the girls, 20 LAADLI Kits(containing 5 cloth pads, 2 jackets, and I small purse ) that were received pro bono from Stonesoup trust. The girls were also taught how to use, wash, dry, and store them.

The feedback from the girls post the session was humbling and I am grateful for this opportunity.

Karishma was the Indian sign Language interpreter. The only request I had to heed was to go slow. On average, an interpreter is required to take a break after 60 minutes but Karishma was just as passionate about it.

We wrapped the session, as usual with some yog asanas and simple home remedies to address irregularities through periods including cramps, body aches, and rash but the most important factor is to reinforce a positive association with this natural regular cycle that mother nature has bestowed on us to sustain the universe. This also helps allay a lot of these symptoms when we look forward to the periodic cycle.

Incase, you would like us to conduct this workshop in your institute or organization, do write to us at womanendangered@gmail.com or suparnaa@simplysuparnaa.com

You can also contribute here to help us reach out to more girls and women with the #LetsTalkPeriod session and to gift a sustainable menstrual hygiene solution of a menstrual cup or cloth pad.

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So I was very curious to read Period Matters: Menstruation in South Asia (Pan Macmillan India, Rs 599), a collection of essays, artwork, stories and poems from voices as diverse as policymakers, entrepreneurs, artists, academics and activists about how menstruation is experienced in South Asia.

Edited by human rights lawyer and writer Farah Ahamed, the anthology is backed with diligent research, including painstaking interviews of those at the margins. Wrapped in the folds of her silken words, Ahamed expresses the raw emotions of a woman – any woman, from a convict to a nun, a sweeper to a corporate honcho – wondering What if? as her poem of the same title questions.

Ahamed’s initiative Panties with Purpose, which was the genesis of the book, had me hooked with the name itself. Working in the development sector, I have often noticed that most outreach programmes that are impactful are driven by individuals who are extremely passionate about the subject owing to either a personal experience of being a close witness to the issue. This individual’s passion seeps through each of the project’s endeavours, even a seemingly innocuous line of communication.

I hope Ahamed’s initiative, which she launched along with her sisters, continues to be fueled with the passion that she so naturally brings into this anthology, which includes essays by well-known voices from across the region including author-politician Shashi Tharoor, poets Tishani Doshi and Rupi Kaur, activist Granaz Baloch, Menstrupedia founder Aditi Gupta, actor-author Lisa Ray, and globally renowned artist Anish Kapoor among many other names who may not make it to the mainstream.

While I was aware of much of the narrative of the book due to my own work, a lot of it has been an eye-opener. Menstruation is a taboo topic in South Asia and there are many myths and superstitions around it – from restrictions on movement and food, to unscientific views on hygiene – but the fact that this runs through geographies across Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Pakistan amidst other countries of the West is indeed alarming.

The socio-cultural settings may differ, there is a lowest common denominator that binds them all rooted in misogyny. The same menstrual tradition of isolation at the onset of menarche becomes kotahalu mangalaya in Sri Lanka(‘Menstruation Traditions and Practices in Sri Lanka’) and manjal nir vizah in Tamil Nadu (‘Behind the Braided Coconut Leaves’).

“In Northern European visual culture, menstruation has been considered ‘dirty, disgusting and embarrassing’ and thought to cause an imbalance in taste in Japan,” shares Alnoor Bhimani in her essay ‘Digitising Menstruation’, where she enunciates the threat to privacy with Period Tracking Apps (PTAs). “Advertisers monitor consumers’ moods and desires to make product offerings at times when PTA users are most likely to make purchases.”

Marketing products, superseding the authenticity of the claims isn’t a surprise when the narrative to ‘Whisper’ is the biggest challenge to overcome the taboo. But the fact is that ‘biodegradable’ and ‘organic’ are the most abused words in the feminine hygiene sector as explained by Jaydeep Mandal in the essay ‘Anandi: India’s First and Only Certified Compostable Pad’.

For a product to be sustainable, what really matters is its composting capacity. As my friend Malini Parmar, eco-activist, engineer and founder of stonesoup.in, often says, just put the item in the composting bin where even animal bones disintegrate in 90 days. You will be surprised to see some of the ‘biodegradable’ products still intact.

Read Also: Menstrual Cup for Sustainable Menstruation

While Ahamed covertly weaves in menstruation in narrating the tale of forgotten girls living on the fringes of a religious shrine through her acclaimed short story ‘Hot Mango Chutney Sauce’, the piece ‘Raqs-e-Mahavaari’enthralls with Amna Mawaz Khan’s overt expression of the monthly cycle through her Bharatanatyam choreography and an equally beautiful depiction of its genesis.

Pakistani transperson Javed (name changed) elucidates the plight of transgenders even linguistically in an interview to Ahamed titled ‘The Worst Day of My Life: Menstruation and Dysphoria’. He points out that, unlike English and other European languages, Urdu and Punjabi (Hindi and Sanskrit too for that matter) do not denote a gendered identity like he/she or him/her. He shares, “As the upper and middle class aspired to become more like the British, they adopted their attitudes and their prejudices… everyone wants to be a kala Angrez.”

During the infamous episode in the epic Mahabharata when Draupadi is forcibly disrobed in a hall full of men, she pleads that she is going through her period or Rajasvala. Author Shashi Deshpande through her essay ‘Menstrual Matters’ highlights this mention in a revered ancient scripture, hinting that the subject was not taboo to begin with.

Shashi also broaches the topic of the Sabarimala controversy. In 1991, the High Court of Kerala banned the entry of women of menstruating age to the Sabarimala Ayyappa temple. In 2018, the Supreme Court of India overturned this ban and allowed women of all ages to enter. However, due to local opposition, women of menstruating age continue to be denied entry into the shrine.

Matters of faith are often misconstrued depending on the context. I wonder, won’t the question of allowing women to worship a celibate male deity in opposition to the faith associated also lead to questioning other Indian temples of menstruating goddesses where men (even male priests) are not allowed to enter?

From Goonj to Menstrupedia, Radha Paudel foundation in Nepal to Bhutan Nuns Foundation, the book highlights many nonprofits and social enterprises addressing problems on ground in remote and urban clusters across South Asia. These include education on menstrual hygiene and reproductive health, providing access to feminine hygiene products and constructing infrastructural support such as access to toilets.

Mariam Siar shares that as of 2019 (before the Taliban regime took over), 94 percent schools lacked even basic hand-washing facilities with soap and water in Afghanistan. The book further highlights the progress of the Menstrual Rights Bill in India as well as the normalisation of paid period leaves.

The book’s cover has a story of its own. The process of its creation is shared by artist Lyla Freechild in ‘Adhya Shakti’ or Primal Energy. Lyla describes her experience of visualising and creating it using her own menstrual blood, which she had been harvesting. I must admit this idea was a bit discomforting, even for me.

All in all, the book is a mind-opening read. Given my work at WE towards creating awareness on menstrual hygiene, busting myths, affecting behavioural change across socio-economic strata, as well as crowd-sourcing funds to distribute medical-grade silicone menstrual cups in urban slums for close to a decade, my only grouse is that it was not included in this illustrious anthology. WE will strive harder!

Suparnaa Chadda is a Delhi-based media entrepreneur. She is a founder trustee of womanendangered.org and the founder of the SABERA awards.

Reviewed for and published originally in eShe.in

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Suparnaa has been conducting these sessions pro bono since 2014 and is regularly invited by schools, institutes as well as corporates to conduct the session. The Simply Suparnaa © Media Network has been awarded by the UN Women as an SME champion. Woman Endangered is a non-profit trust under the network that promotes Responsible content besides conducting menstrual hygiene as well as awareness sessions on violence against women. The other initiative under the network is SABERA. A one-of-its-kind annual social impact award, and summit highlight ESG best practices & sustainable development initiatives by corporates, nonprofits, and individuals

Voice of Pratigya a local newspaper wrote about the session and shared ‘ महावरी के प्रति जाग रुकता लाने के लिए ऑनलाइन काउंसलिंग की गई’ (Online counselling was done to bring awareness towards Periods).’ ‘बालिकाओं को ग्रामीण क्षेत्र मैं इस दिशा में गलत धारणाओं को छोडने अवं वैज्ञानिक चिंतन पेयदा करने की दिशा मैं अग्रसर किया’ (In the rural area, the girls were encouraged to move beyond misconceptions and start thinking scientifically in this direction).

Let us know if you know of a school/college/community in the remote parts of the country – we would be happy to conduct a session! write to womanendangered@gmail.com or suparnaa@simplysuparnaa.com

To support our initiative contribute here.

The post Talking Periods in Chulu, Rajasthan appeared first on Woman Endangered.

Ever since the pandemic, WE adopted the workshop in an online mode through presentation and videos. This was the first session that was conducted in person post the pandemic. The session was attended by the mothers of the children studying in Voice of Slum (VOS).

VOS provides a bridge between introducing children of the slums to a formal system of education. They accept children of all age groups and after a couple of years of orientation help them get admitted to mainstream schools or vocational courses. The session was clubbed with the parent-teacher meeting.

The 2-hour interactive session encouraged the mothers to share their doubts and experiences creating an open and safe space for an exchange of knowledge. The topics covered included physiology, the periodic cycle, the common ailments, some yog asanas and home remedies along with information on sustainable menstrual solutions and feminine hygiene. An important aspect of the session is to understand facts beyond mere superstition.

Premium quality Medical grade silicone cups were also distributed to take care of the women’s feminine hygiene for the next 8 to 10 years. The proper usage and care were also demonstrated on a silicone female reproductive organ replica.

To support our initiative contribute here.

The post #LetsTalkPeriod in Voice of Slum appeared first on Woman Endangered.

Last year WE adapted to the online media and successfully conducted the #LetsTalkPeriod session virtually with Government-aided school teachers. To accommodate Avcom’s request, we tweaked the content making it relevant to the marginalised sector through the online medium.

The #LetsTalkPeriod content, as well as the teaching aids, are tailor-made to suit the different target groups for maximum understating and interaction. In the marginalised sector the aids often used are Placards, a silicone model of the reproductory system and video.

The two-hour workshop covers the physiology, monthly cycle, addresses facts vs myths and also delves on the ancient wisdom around menstruation. Steps in hygiene and a discussion on feminine hygiene solutions are an integral part of the interaction. The session encourages participants to share their experiences through the safe and open space created by the #LetsTalkPeriod platform. Another one of the mechanics used is sharing the learnings of the session through art.

An artwork made by one of the women encapsulates her learnings from the interaction. Ruchika resident Dharamshala, District Kangra, Himachal Pradesh won a medical-grade silicone stonesoup.in Menstrual cup of MRP 945 INR.

#LetsTalkPeriod is an initiative of Woman Endangered (WE) that openly talks about PERIODS. Providing information, encouraging interaction and involving participants to become change agents in their respective communities, educational institutions or work organizations.  The session helps address gender parity issues along with environmental & health hazards that we face through popular menstrual hygiene solutions. WE work through behaviour change communication, busting myths around menstruation with the aim to transform communities to be inclusive and sensitive to the needs of all. 

If you work in marginalised sectors WE would be happy to conduct this 2-hour session PRO BONO with the beneficiaries. You can reach out with your request by writing to suparnaa@simplysuparnaa.com. The session content for all target groups has been adapted online taking into consideration the covid distancing protocols.

To support our initiative contribute here.

The post #LetsTalkPeriod 2022 appeared first on Woman Endangered.

Given the lockdown WE got an opportune time to document some of the outreach done, Gopi Chand School was the venue for one of them. 75 medical-grade silicone cups were distributed to take care of the feminine hygiene of the mothers of the students from the school, sustainably. The menstrual cup lasts for eight to ten years hence a detailed session on the usage and Maintainance of the cup was essential.

The funds to purchase the menstrual cup for gifting were crowdsourced by the journalist Rituparna Chatterjee also popularly known as Masala Bai on Twitter. She is a prominent name in documenting & curating the #Metoo movement in India.

#LetsTalkPeriod with Simply Suparnaa sessions are tailor-made as per the audience and the media used accordingly is also accommodated. What remains constant is the model of the reproductive system to explain the physiology of menstruation. Alongside some home remedies and yoga asanas for addressing common ailments relating to menstruation.

Over the years the feedback from the beneficiary has become the most essential part of any session and so was the case in Gopi Chand school. Finally wrapping up over some cold drinks and hot samosas.

As always a reminder, If you are working with communities that can benefit from these sessions do connect us and we would be happy to conduct a session albeit virtually now given the pandemic. You can write to us at womanendangered@gmail or suparnaa@simplysuparnaa.com and let’s get talking about PERIODS!

To support our initiative contribute here.

The post Menstrual Cup for Sustainable Menstruation appeared first on Woman Endangered.

The session was organized on 6th March 2019 with the support of Bal Aarogya in a community center, offering a safe, ventilated, and well-lit hall for the interaction amidst women. The session used the medium of placards with bright contextual images supported with font in Hindi describing the essence of periods. 30 medical-grade silicone cups were also distributed to take care of her feminine hygiene need for the next few years sustainably. A model of the reproductive system is also used through these sessions to introduce physiology as well as explain the usage of the menstrual cup. The last leg of the session was dedicated to watching a specially created video on yog asanas and simple home remedies to address common ailments experienced through the period.

The session is designed to cater to the specific target audience. The 120-minute module is divided into 3 parts such that it covers most aspects of feminine hygiene. Over the years, however, the feedback from the beneficiaries has become the most important part of the workshop. Almost 60 minutes are now dedicated to exchanging notes and addressing questions so that was also the case in Trilokpuri.

If you are working with communities that can benefit from these sessions do connect us and we would be happy to conduct a session albeit virtually now given the pandemic. You can write to us at womanendangered@gmail or suparnaa@simplysuparnaa.com and lets get talking about PERIODS !

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Sushma Aggarwal, an octogenarian, is a source of inspiration and a force to reckon with herself. She shared her tryst with serving the marginalised through Arpana trust which was founded in 1962.

Mrs. Shroff, Mrs.Seth, and Mrs Sushma Agarwal were 3 friends who wanted to contribute to Arpana trust and started working in a slum with 20 children in Indira camp, Delhi for half a day. After 10 years of work, the slum was to be broken, and they realized that with the relocation, all the hard work may dissipate with the education of the children coming to a halt. Sushma Aggarwal says ‘We went to the slum commissioner and requested for an alternate area where these families could be shifted. The commissioner was familiar with our work and was impressed with the dedication of us old ladies and shifted the 200 families to the molarband area’ . This is where the ‘Basti Vikas Kendra’ with 100 children started. Now there are a total of 1500 hundred children receiving education both in pre-school as well as through tuition support. For older girls who are not very educated or school dropouts, there are beauty culture, tailoring, and craft classes conducted, to enable them to get jobs or work from home as per their individual requirements. The main focus remains, making the girls economically independent.

‘Most of the teachers with Arpana trust have worked for over 10- 15 years including Kalpana Maam, Saroj Maam and Nabneeta Maam. They help imbibe Arpana’s ethos of selfless service, love and affection for the children’ Sushma Aggarwal added.

It was with these teachers , enabling the children of molarband at the Basti Vikas Kendra , that I conducted the #LetsTalkPeriod session virtually. Enabling the enabler 🙂

The session lasted for close to 3 hours – while the workshop itself is for 2 hours, the feedback and interaction of the participants, sharing their stories is always the highlight in each session. Here is some of the feedback along with some artworks imbibing the lesson. The best one stands to win a stonesoup.in menstrual cup worth Re. 945.

‘It was an amazing session, this subject needs to be discussed more and males should also be involved in this kind of session.’

‘Good for us and future generations how to fight with period problems.’

‘बहुत अच्छा था बसे तो हम सब ये बाते जानते हैं बस खुलेआम इस बारे मे बात नही करते जो करना बहुत ज़रूरी है’

‘The session was very informative and helpful. I Learnt and got know about good and fact full knowledge about periods other than myths.’

If you work or run a non profit school in a marginalised segment, I would be happy to conduct this session on periods with your school Free of cost. Drop me a mail on womanendangered@gmail.com or suparnaa@simplysuparnaa.com and lets make the most through the new normal.

Everybody bleeds so LETS TALK PERIOD!

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The post-COVID 19 world has been one of retaining and redesigning the world as we knew it. Digital and virtual have become the keywords with work from home taking precedence like never before. So has also been with the case for the #LetsTalkPeriod menstrual hygiene workshop that took its first step towards going virtual.

It also was an opportunity to upgrade our skills and I personally utilized the opportunity to take a Harvard X course of 8 weeks Titled ‘Hinduism through its scriptures’. While the subject was of interest to me given my enthusiasm for the ancient wisdom of the subcontinent, it also exposed me to the techniques of pedagogy from the best in the world of education!

While designing the digital session on #LetsTalkPeriod I drew from the style of teaching online that Harvard engages in as well as dug deeper into the ancient wisdom and menstruation. The result was a digital session with 3 main parts. Namely

Menstruation & Ancient Wisdom: Drawing from references from the past

Myths vs Fact: Delineating physiological Facts, cycle, and addressing negative associations or mindsets.

Sustainable Solutions: Creating awareness about the solutions commonly available and sustainability

The session addressing SDG 3, 10 & 11 was conducted for 30 teachers of SSMI a Government and MCD aided school. It was highly interactive given the originally planned session for 2 hours overshot and we spent over 4 hours through the session. I had also given an assignment of creating an artwork that weaves the 7 notes of music with the essentials on menstruation for easier understanding and absorption of the concepts shared. The winner got a medical-grade silicone menstrual cup as a prize for the same.

Here are some of the reviews from the session attendees.

It should be held regularly ‘It’s important to make both genders aware of the science behind menstruation. It is equally important for boys, to help remove all taboos or preconceived notions about periods. They should understand that its a part of a woman’s life and absolutely normal. ‘

Very informative ‘There is a lot of misconception about the menstrual cycle, but after this session, all are removed. Before this, I had too many ifs and buts but now, I am very much clear. Such an informative and Wonderful session it was.’

Platform to speak openly ‘It’s an awesome session. Thank you ma’am for giving a platform where we can speak about menstrual issues openly and unhesitantly. Your effort will change many more generations. As a teacher, we must talk about this issue and change the mindsets of people.’

Everybody bleeds so #LetsTalkPeriod

The post #LetsTalkPeriod Virtually appeared first on Woman Endangered.