No Shame: Let's Talk About Periods

Buying sanitary napkins in a shop filled with people, and meeting their shallow stares is an Indian girl's monthly routine. With time, people have made peace with the people have made peace with the idea of menstruation. But, even after the 10th standard chapter on sexual reproduction, it remains a taboo subject.
Ahead of Menstrual Hygiene Day, TOI reporters decided to do a reality check by buying sanitary napkins like a normal activity.The result comprised mixed reactions from both men and women.
When one TOI reporter entered a pharmacy and asked for sanitary napkins, she met with shaming gazes of six other men. Without her consent, the vendor wrapped the first pack in sight in a black polythene. She kept eye contact with the vendor, but his hands moved mechanically and the others shunned her presence.On her way out, the men moved to one side of the shop as if she were an untouchable.
As another reporter strolled into a supermarket and picked up a pack of sanitary napkins, a woman at the counter made disapproving faces as though the packet was impure. The cashier's mortified expression and “complimentary“ paper bag added to the drama.
Another reporter faced a different scenario. She said she casually struck a conversation with a vendor about a particular brand of sanitary napkins being unavailable. The shopkeeper smiled and comfortably shared his insight.But, a few eyebrows rose when she questioned the black polythene.The vendor claimed customers usually ask him to do so. Payal Khanna, a student, says, “I feel shy if I have to buy sanitary napkins with my dad or brothers around me. I ask my them to look for other stuff while I pick up my napkins and hide it under other things in the cart.“
Khanna says she usually buys her pack from a supermarket and not a general store, obviating the need for interaction with the shopkeeper.
Hitisha Goel, a student from Lucknow, says even women give strange looks if she has an unwrapped packet.“Wrapping it in a newspaper doesn't really help. People know what it is and smirk anyway.“
Social media drive makes a talking point
Running from May 21-27, the #NoShameCampaign got people, both men and women, talking about menstruation.
It started with people talking about menstruation and then nominating their friends to do the same. Facebook user Geeta Prabha Singh posted her story about her first menstrual cycle and the feelings associated with it. She also mentioned how she educated her children (two boys and a girl) about it.
User Taposh Roy echoed the sentiments of many men when he shared an incident where he did not know how to behave around a menstruating woman colleague.
Sangita Jaiswal, who started the online campaign, said, “Everybody is on social media, word spreads easily and here people talked about the problems they faced. Men, boys, women and girls, all actively participated in it.“
An open mic session on the topic was also held at Sheroes hangout cafe on Saturday.