When I came to Thane and visited TMC schools, there I saw Sanitary napkin vending machine for the first time and the instant thought that I had was, is it in use? I asked the teachers about the same, "Rarely" , they said. I wanted to work on it but had no idea about how to go about it. I was so excited when Priyanka talked to me and shared the plan of her PSP about menstrual hygiene and awareness. We started our 1st session in our Block in Urdu schools. Priyanka and our group all were present we started session with some refreshing songs “Balgeet”. Then Priyanka asked 1st question what’s there age, 2nd question was who had heard a word periods all girls started looking at us- Sayan, Sajjan and Me, since we were the only boys present there, more than those girls I felt embarrassed because they all were looking at us. Than as usual I was feeling from starting that we had to leave the hall. After some time they called me due to some technical issue in voice and Priyanka told me to stay. In whole session all the time I saw girls looking at me what I am doing watching them or not, whenever I click pictures they look at me again. After 7 successful sessions this has become a routine, I had to leave when they start with periods words. In one of our session in the end one teacher came and asked the girls, What would they tell when the boys will enquire about what the session was all about, to which the girls answered that they will say "Nothing". Then teacher told tell them to say that 'we were watching a movie which they will shown the next time.' I know it’s not there mistake, it’s our society in which period is a big taboo about which no one wants to talk about. I still remember my 1st experience about periods in school one of female friend was having periods and she had kept pads with her which fell on the class floor, one of my male friend saw that and he started telling every boy. We boys started laughing on that, I still don’t know why. I got to know about periods in my college from some of my female friends who were very open about this they shared, what is periods, mensuration cycle, how they felt during periods. One of my female friends told me that on our 1st meeting she was having periods and her pads started leaking, she didn’t tell me at that time because she felt shy and she just folded shirt around her waist and also she was wearing black jeans. It is our society that is at fault, whenever we ask something about Periods they tell us its girl’s thing you don’t need to know. My mother never told me why she or my sister gets ill some days every month, what they bring under newspaper from market. With awareness about periods we have to take initiative to educate our society Periods are not bad or impure, it’s a natural process of a women body because of that we all exist.
Having said that - Society is us, if we are ready to bring change and accept the the natural things, I am sure change will come, not immediately but definitely.
Having said that - Society is us, if we are ready to bring change and accept the the natural things, I am sure change will come, not immediately but definitely.
