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This Trust Is Guiding Rural India On Menstrual Health & Embracing Their Practices

Written By: Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin
May 26, 2021

Highlights

Mythri Speaks has been dedicated to the cause of propagating women’s issues since 2014, and has earned its reputation as a grass-root development organization, based in Karnataka.  

Their Animation film ‘Mythri’ on menstruation, has reached over 4 million adolescent girls in government schools. Their content is available free of cost in 9 languages and has been used by governments, educators, researchers, NGOs, medical professionals and others. 

Their workshop “Super Science Behind Menstrual Practices” covers Menstrual Science, especially the science behind traditional menstrual practices, and its important role in prevention of menstrual disorders, through the lens of Ayurveda.

  • Quick Read
  • Full Read

Mythri Speaks has been dedicated to the cause of propagating women’s issues since 2014, and has earned its reputation as a grass-root development organization, based in Karnataka.  

With menstrual & reproductive health being one of its important programs, the organization has oriented thousands of rural adolescent girls and women through awareness workshops, across the states of Karnataka, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Tamil Nadu.  Sinu Joseph, an engineer by qualification, started working in the social space in 2009. Her first book Women & Sabarimala: Science behind Restrictions, has been a bestseller. In her book Rtu Vidya: Ancient Science behind Menstrual practices, she attempts to explain the scientific & logical reasoning behind the origins of ancient practices using two frameworks: Science & Dharma

Their Animation film ‘Mythri’ on menstruation, has reached over 4 million adolescent girls in government schools. Their content is available free of cost in 9 languages and has been used by governments, educators, researchers, NGOs, medical professionals and others. Their workshop “Super Science Behind Menstrual Practices” covers Menstrual Science, especially the science behind traditional menstrual practices, and its important role in the prevention of menstrual disorders, through the lens of Ayurveda. 

The Menstrual Health & Anemia (Screening, Treatment And Prevention) initiative is largely undertaken in rural areas, in association with the government Primary Health Centres (PHC).​ Women in rural India have been resorting to their own ways for many years. “You should keep an open mind when you come across methods that are different from what you are familiar with. 

The focus should be on whether or not women are being affected by the method they follow rather than force them to change practices just for the sake of social engineering, says Sinu.

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Women in rural India have been resorting to their own ways for many years when it comes to menstruation practices and menstrual health. There are methods that are different from what we are familiar with. Sinu Joseph, the Managing Trustee of Mythri Speaks Trust, gives us an insight into menstrual practices in rural India.

The narrative on menstruation is changing and more awareness is being created on this topic to help first time bleeders understand the concept. The urban narrative on this topic is often laced with the word’s stigma, taboo, pain, traditional / cultural practices and the like which often create a negative attitude towards it. But is it the same rurally? 

Founders and Trustees- Sinu Joseph with Vyjanthi

Sinu Joseph disagrees there is a stigma surrounding menstruation. “From my observations on interacting with women across different sections of society and various communities across India, I have found that the attitude towards menstruation has turned negative or indifferent as women moved away from culturally centered ideas of menstruation”.

Sinu Joseph, an engineer by qualification, started working in the social space in 2009. She has done extensive action-research in the areas of Menstrual & Reproductive Health, Urban Civic Issues and Rural Development. She is a three time TEDx speaker and a writer. Her first book Women & Sabarimala: Science behind Restrictions, has been a bestseller. In her book Rtu Vidya: Ancient Science behind Menstrual practices, she attempts to explain the scientific & logical reasoning behind the origins of ancient practices using two frameworks: Science & Dharma. She feels, “The effects of the Tri-Doshas on menstruation which can culminate into reproductive and gynecological issues if Ayurveda prescribed practices and regimes are not followed”.

Sinu learnt that rural and tribal women who have not been through a formal education system or have had minimal exposure to the urban way of living, exhibit a positive and sometimes (seemingly) exaggerated enthusiasm towards menstruation as nature’s gift to women.

“My observation on the variations in attitude towards menstruation was corroborated when my team and I undertook a study. Majority of women interviewed expressed a positive outlook towards menstruation, breaking the stereotypical assumption that Indian women associate shame with menstruation”, says Sinu.

Rural women would often smile, sometimes feel shy, but mostly say that menstruation was a positive occurrence in their life. In stark contrast, the urban women I interviewed would arrogantly shoot back a question asking ‘why on earth would anyone feel positive towards menstruation?’

“Stepping aside from the popular narratives which focus on menstrual products, our work has explored native methods and cultural practices around menstruation”, reveals Sinu.

Mission of the Trust

Mythri Speaks has been dedicated to the cause of propagating women’s issues since 2014, and has earned its reputation as a grass-root development organization, based in Karnataka. With menstrual & reproductive health being one of its important programs, the organization has oriented thousands of rural adolescent girls and women through awareness workshops, across the states of Karnataka, Jharkhand, Bihar, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Tamil Nadu.

Their Animation film ‘Mythri’ on menstruation, has reached over 4 million adolescent girls in government schools. Their content is available free of cost in 9 languages and has been used by governments, educators, researchers, NGOs, medical professionals and others.

Their workshop “Super Science Behind Menstrual Practices” covers Menstrual Science, especially the science behind traditional menstrual practices, and its important role in prevention of menstrual disorders, through the lens of Ayurveda.

Menstrual Health & Anemia (Screening, Treatment and Prevention camps have been undertaken by them in rural areas, in association with the government Primary Health Centres (PHC). Women are screened for menstrual disorders and Hemoglobin tests are undertaken to detect Anemia with treatment and follow up. In 2018, they covered 1000 girls and women across 10 Grama Panchayats.

Over the years, Sinu has worked extensively in this sphere. When it comes to picking the right sanitary product, she believes, “Women are sensible enough to make the right choices according to their circumstances”.  Her experience and studies has made her realize that menstrual hygiene is important but at the same time, this can be maintained by various sanitary products. Studies show that linking menstrual hygiene to cervical cancer or any other menstrual disorder is a myth. 

 “The only thing bad menstrual hygiene can give you is a bacterial infection”, she says. Women in rural India have been resorting to their own ways for many years. “You should keep an open mind when you come across methods that are different from what you are familiar with. The focus should be on whether or not women are being affected by the method they follow rather than force them to change practices just for the sake of social engineering.”

Respecting the Choice of Menstruators

Traditionally, Indian women used cotton cloth during menstruation, because they preferred it and not because of reasons such as inability to afford sanitary napkins or non-availability of such products.

Even now, many women in India prefer cloth to any other commercially available menstrual product. It is necessary to understand rural women have certain challenges while using sanitary products- main being its disposal. Cloth, therefore, becomes their most preferred option.

Knowledge on proper use can be given if we find that some of the practices might be causing problems. In some villages in Karnataka, women can now purchase a red cloth called “Date Batte” (Date refers to periods, and Batte means cloth) from the grocery shops. This is a soft cloth, quite suitable for menstrual blood absorption.

Cloth pads are another option provided women use loose cloth that can be opened and dried in the sun. Tampons and menstrual cups require insertion of the product into the vagina using hands, it is necessary that high levels of hygiene and cleanliness is maintained. Most girls and women in villages do a lot of physical work with their hands. As a result their hands are not the most clean and usually carry germs/bacteria. And this can be a concern.

Nowadays, small-scale sanitary napkin manufacturing units have sprung up in rural areas. But basic hygiene standards and sanitization of the product are not followed in the small-scale manufacturing units.

“We have come across quite a few women in villages who do not use any of the above products and bleed freely”, she says.  

Poor hygiene with any product can result in rashes and bacterial infection and could cause a problem with white discharge but not disorders like dysmenorrhea, menorrhagia, PCOS, endometriosis, amenorrhea, etc. “Knowledge on the right way of using a product needs to be shared”, she adds.

change makersmenstrual healthmenstrual hygeinementruationNGOsocial infuencers

Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin

Tasneem Akbari Kutubuddin has done her masters in Journalism & Communication and has worked as a senior journalist, editor and columnist for leading publications like The Logical Indian, Deccan Chronicle, Worldwide Media Corporation, The Bridge and Provoke.
With Infano, she hopes to create more awareness about women’s health issues. Suffering with Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition, she has also been advocating for its awareness through media.

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Infano Care

#MyPeriodBuddy: Share Your Story Of Happiness!

Written By: Sonali
May 24, 2022 | 11:11 AM |
521

Highlights

  • What is #MyPeriodBuddy?
  • Why should you be a part of it?
  • How can you be a part of it?
  • What happens when you share your period buddy with the world?
  • Quick Read
  • Full Read

For every menstruator, period means something different — depending on the culture they follow, the location they belong to, the age group they come into or the lifestyle they lead — everyone develops their own way of tackling period days.

But what makes it tolerable every month? A cup of hot chocolate or a jar of cold ice cream? A reusable menstrual cup or a hot water bag? One may say Netflix or Agatha Christie, or it could be an afternoon nap for someone or a pyjama party for another — but we decided to call it our ‘period buddy’!

#MyPeriodBuddy is an initiative to highlight the emotional rollercoaster menstruators face and the support they seek to be their best in ‘those’ days.

This Menstrual Hygiene Day, we urge every menstruator out there to share their period buddy with us — and the world!

The idea is to create a safe, light-hearted online community with memories and words that could comfort menstruators every time they feel down! : )

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I believe when people get out of their comfort zone, they end up writing their own stories! But what makes a story special? What’s the secret ingredient to make it out of the box or ‘one in the crowd’? While there could be a thousand answers to these, I would only choose one — people — and their emotions!

And while the question ‘what kind of emotion’ could trigger another debate here, I believe it could be anything — anything that makes us feel alive!!

So this Menstrual Hygiene Day, when I was told to write stories, I decided not to write one — rather — let the readers write their own!

For every menstruator, period means something different — depending on the culture they follow, the location they belong to, the age group they come into or the lifestyle they lead — everyone develops their own way of tackling period days.

But what makes it tolerable every month? A cup of hot chocolate or a jar of cold ice cream? A reusable menstrual cup or a hot water bag? One may say Netflix or Agatha Christie, or it could be an afternoon nap for someone or a pyjama party for another — but we decided to call it our ‘period buddy’!

#MyPeriodBuddy is an initiative to highlight the emotional rollercoaster menstruators face and the support they seek to be their best in ‘those’ days.

This Menstrual Hygiene Day, we urge every menstruator out there to share their period buddy with us — and the world!

The idea is to create a safe, light-hearted online community with memories and words that could comfort menstruators every time they feel down! : )

Why should you be a part of it?

#MyPeriodBuddy is one step forward toward empowering menstruators; towards de-stigmatizing something as simple as MENSTRUATION!

In the times of elections, they say, one finger (on vote) can change everything. We say one story can bring revolution, a change. So why not you be that change?

How can you be a part of it?

Remember the high school slam book that we asked our friends to fill? Consider it similar!

All you need to do is click a picture of yourself with your favourite period buddy, write your heart out, and upload it on Instagram, tagging us & your fellow menstruators with the hashtag #MyPeriodBuddy.

Ask them to do the same while tagging their favourites — and let the cycle go on!

What happens when you share your period buddy with the world?

Well, in the time of stigmas and taboos we live in, #MyPeriodBuddy is a fresh reminder that bleeding doesn’t make anyone any less than others.

Not only will it bring out the essence of urban culture, it will also remind menstruators in the rural & semi-urban areas that periods are the same for everyone — from the pain to stain — it doesn’t differentiate.

The idea is to encourage other menstruators to follow their hearts, do what content them the most and find happiness and strength in small things — sometimes even a jar of ice cream!

This #MenstrualHygieneDay, #Infano, along with #TheLogicalIndian, is addressing nuanced conversations on period centering on the well-being of the menstruators as they power through every day. 

If this is something that excites you, then write to us! Send us your picture with your period buddy or upload it on your Instagram, tagging us. Write your story and let the world get inspired by your journey! #IPeriodMyWay #MHD202 

#MyPeriodBuddymenstrual hygeine dayMenstrual hygieneMenstruationperiodperiod talk

Sonali

A 'non-9-5 desk job' ambivert geek who chooses her own audience, Sonali loves sharing stories and finding the corners where humanity still exists! She believes that every individual's story is unique and special. She loves writing about the untouched and unspoken segments of society. When not writing, you can find her listening to someone's stories or playing with dogs. Sonali values mental health and encourages people to speak their heart out!

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