As a woman, I was always taught to go and do whatever I had desired for, never turn down my work or consider myself to be less important or diligent than a man. Society, parents and teachers, everyone wanted me to partake my dreams and turn them into a beautiful and constructive reality. However, all of this was said to be put on a hold for a few days every month.
I can go and grab any opportunity but have to take it a bit easy while menstruating. Something like this is the story of every woman out there who is utterly confused with the way this society functions. On one side we hallow female goddesses in our country, and on the other, we are same ones who limit our women from entering a temple.
It almost seems that our society is petrified by bleeding women, this is the same blood that they breathed in for 9 months, however, now they consider it filthy.
One such similar thought has been penned down by Saloni Choujar, an actor and a brilliant writer. She, more often than not, address issues that happen to affect one complete gender in this world. From her words, she has been voicing about issues like sexism, slut-shaming and other similar issues which are been practised blatantly all throughout the world, especially in India. On Tuesday, Saloni yet again talked about something which is too real for women and somehow too shameful for men in our country. From the day that we first start bleeding to the last drop, we have been given a set rules to-do and not-to-do. Her powerful lines, end up being resonated with a lot of young and old women who have been through the endless saga of menstruating blood and its guidelines.
She posted the picture which is natural for all the women out there and questioned the people who think this natural phenomenon as something that is disgusting.
We can’t do anything except completely uphold her stand, because even we have seen and been through mental and physical trauma, over the course of those 5 days. From the society to our own body, everyone made us feel that we didn’t belong at a specific place during a specific time. Is it right? No, absolutely not.
Stop period-shaming women, because there’s nothing to be ashamed of.
16th March 2017
Jyotsna Amla