'Enough is not enough'- domestic violence cases see no end

What is Gender-based Violence?

Violence against women and girls (VAWG) has been defined as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or mental harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life”.

(UN, 1993)

Here are some other celebrities who faced physical violence from their spouses

Karisma Kapoor, the most top rated actress form the 90s, divorced her husband Sanjay Kapur on grounds of domestic violence. Karisma Kapoor was at the peak of her career when she tied the knot with industrialist and millionaire Sanjay Kapur. After being married for ten years and parenting two children, Karisma Kapoor filed for divorce pleading mental tortured and physical violence. It was speculated that the actress had also filed a case of domestic violence against her husband and his family.

Shweta Tiwari the talented television actress faced a bad marriage not once but twice. She was initially married to actor Raja Chowdhary, and was a victim of physical abuse and domestic violence after which she decided to divorce him. Things got ugly in this love marriage when he started physically and mentally abusing Shweta. She claimed that Raja would come home drunk and physically harm her and had reported against him in police stations. After divorcing Raja, Shweta married Abhinav Kohli but filed a domestic violence complaint against Abhinav in a few years of their marriage. They are separated now.

Doe-eyed yesteryear actress Rati Agnihotri was also a victim of an abusive marriage and physical violence by her husband. When she could no longer tolerate it, she lodged a complaint and walked out after 30 years. “Well, I had certain priorities, the biggest being my son Tanuj. He was the reason I put up with all this pain for 30 years. I also believed in the sanctity of marriage… I believed in love”, said Rati in a media interview when asked why she held on for so long.

While many still continue to bear the brunt of such toxic relationships, some take a stand and put their foot down to eventually call it quits on their partner. Leaving a relationship requires strength and courage and while we hope that no woman or man should have to face violence from a companion, we also have to extend our support and help to those who finally learn to say ‘enough is enough’.

If you are facing abuse or physical violence from your parents, spouse, partner, or in-laws, here are some details you can reach out to for help and guidance:

Legal help: SHEROES

Send a Whatsapp SOS Alert on 7217735372 to NCWIndia

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What is menstrual hygiene?

While the concept of menstrual hygiene relates to proper care and accessibility to menstrual products, including the feasibility to use toilets, it is not limited to this arena only. Menstrual hygiene is about ensuring an environment that values and supports menstruation with dignity and not viewing it through the lens of taboos. This is a component extremely crucial for empowerment and well-being to someone menstruating. Maintaining proper menstrual hygiene prevents the risk of reproductive and urinary tract infections.

According to UNICEF, “every month, 1.8 billion people across the world menstruate. The onset of menstruation means a new phase – and new vulnerabilities – in the lives of adolescents. Yet, many adolescent girls face stigma, harassment and social exclusion during menstruation. Transgender men and non-binary persons also face discrimination due to their gender identity, depriving them of access to the materials and facilities they need. Gender inequality, discriminatory social norms, cultural taboos, poverty and lack of basic services like toilets and sanitary products can all cause menstrual health and hygiene need to go unmet.”

Why menstrual hygiene is important?

Menstruation is a common physiological process, beginning with first menstrual bleeding majorly between the ages of 9 to 16, called menarche. People who menstruate undergo this process on a regular basis but are still not adequately informed about the need to ensure proper menstrual hygiene. Menstrual hygiene is extremely important for the health of menstruators. Improving and educating them about the need for menstrual hygiene starting from adolescents can help transform the existing misconceptions and myths. It is also important for personal comfort and increased mobility. It also reduces the likelihood of infections occurring because of poor menstrual practices.

Poor menstrual health not only affects the urinary or reproductive tract but gives rise to many other fungal and bacterial infections. It also makes menstruators vulnerable to medical conditions affecting skin like dermatitis in which skin turns red and swells and in severe conditions appearance of blisters may occur. In more severe conditions, it is also susceptible to cause cervical cancers.

Accessibility to menstrual hygiene in India

In India, according to the reports of the world bank, over 60% of the total population lives in the rural sector, which includes a high number of women lacking knowledge about menstrual hygiene. In addition, associated taboos and restrictions with regard to the social culture results in not giving much importance to the menstrual hygienic health practices, which leads to adverse health outcomes. The surrounding misconceptions and practices about the process as unclean or dirty in society are still very much prevalent. The way in which a menstruator learns about menarche and the associated changes impact their understanding and intuitive response due to lack or erroneous education about menstrual health and hygiene.

Limited or no access to menstrual products in India, especially in rural areas, has resulted in major health problems. Most menstruators in rural sectors use rags and clothes during menstruation, which makes them vulnerable to reproductive tract infections due to the growth of bacteria or fungus. Continuous use of sanitary napkins after washing and drying is not feasible due to water scarcity and taboos around menstruation.

Notably, there has been significant development in the health sector, but women are still conditioned due to social and economic barriers. In India, many menstruators use unsafe methods during menstruation, such as cloth or make-do pads stuffed with ash, husk and even sand. Not using hygienic products can cause a variety of health problems, including reproductive and urinary tract infections. Though there has been a drastic improvement during recent times about menstrual hygiene, the rural-urban gap still requires manifold improvements.

Health risks of poor menstrual hygiene

Poor and lack of menstrual health not only affects physical health but one’s mental health too. An accurate and clear understanding of period hygiene and how it affects the health and the proper management are crucial to maintain. Reproductive tract infection is closely interlinked with menstrual hygiene and is nothing less than a silent pandemic affecting women’s health.

According to research by NCBI, Government of India, “Lack of privacy is an important problem. In resource-poor contexts, where women do not have access to basic facilities such as water, bathroom and privacy, the standard of hygiene one can maintain is severely compromised. There is a need to improve the housing conditions with respect to basic facilities. Universalized use of sanitary pads can be advocated to every girl only by making it available at affordable prices (social marketing).”

How to ensure menstrual hygiene?

Look at these snapshots to maintain good menstrual hygiene during your menstruation:

1. Always use clean and avoid reused pads/ tampons.

Use clean sanitary pads and tampons and do not reuse them. Reusing unclean menstrual products would lead to a high risk of reproductive and urinary infections and major health concerns.

2. Do not use a pad / tampon for over four hours

Wearing pads or tampons for over four hours a day should strictly be avoided and not practiced as it leads to growth for bacteria.

3. Rinse properly

It is advisable to wash your genital area at least twice a day after you remove your sanitary pad or tampon. During the menstrual cycle, blood creates a favorable environment for bacteria. Therefore, it should be cleaned but not too frequently and thoroughly, as it may affect the pH balance.

4.Track your period regularly

The menstrual cycle is an important indicator of your health and should not be ignored. Download the Infano app to track your periods here.

Globally, millions of women suffer health risks because of a lack of adequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management. Menstrual hygiene needs to be maintained and a sufficient supply of clean water, availability of affordable sanitary products are necessary. Hygiene-related practices and considerable importance can prevent young menstruators from several venereal diseases. It is also important that environmental aspects should be taken into consideration while discarding sanitary products properly after used to avoid the spread of infections.