When menstruation is an ugly word

When I got married into a conservative family, I was in for more than one shock. But the biggest one was being ostracized whenever I got my periods. My mother had brought me up liberally. The only thing she said was that when I had periods I should not touch idols of deities or go to the temple. My mother-in-law, otherwise a good human being, was conditioned differently. She was conditioned by what she had experienced both in her maternal home and with her own mother-in-law.

She believed that a woman who was menstruating had to keep away from others, not eat at the dining table with the rest of the family (forget entering the kitchen!), sleep on the floor, and generally be isolated. And, that’s why we locked horns. I could not accept such alien views which had no logic according to me. And, she would not budge from her stand. So, it was perfect grounds for a mother-in-law daughter-in-law clash that carried on for years.

Why is menstruation considered impure when it is a purely biological function? And, in fact, a function that is intrinsically linked to creating life? There are communities in India and elsewhere that celebrate the attainment of puberty in a girl. Then, why of why, does having periods become a matter of shame or something to be kept hidden?

One explanation given for isolating a menstruating woman is that she gets to rest and does not have to do hard domestic work during the days she has periods every month. But surely the woman should have a choice in this matter?

Movies like Pad Man, released in 2018, brought the issue of menstrual hygiene into our living rooms. But much more needs to be done to remove the embarrassment and humiliation girls and women face on the matter even today.