Let’s stop the shame, period!
I read a sad story at the weekend. It’s the story of a 14-year-old Kenyan girl who died by suicide after she was allegedly “period-shamed” by her teacher.
According to the report, Jackline Chepngeno got her period for the first time (menarche) while attending school in Kabiangek, a region in southwestern Kenya.
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Her mother, Beatrice Koech, said Jackline did not have a sanitary pad readily available and bled through her pants.
Sad to say, her teacher taunted her for getting her period, called her “dirty” and kicked her out of class.
The girl’s death is currently under investigation by the police while female Members of Parliament came together and held a protest at the Ministry of Education.
Interestingly, Kenya passed a law in 2017 requiring all schools to provide free menstrual products to female students to ensure that they are able to attend school while in their period. The programme, however, has still not rolled out completely, according to local reports.
Period-shaming, where a girl/woman is made to feel ashamed or awkward because she is menstruating, is common and for some reason, it has become normal and measures have not been put in place to manage it effectively.
During the run-up to the 2016 US elections, then presidential candidate, Donald Trump, inferred that then Fox News anchor, Megyn Kelly (one of the moderators of the presidential debate), was menstruating after she gave him a ‘tough’ time during the debate.
Myths, misconceptions and taboos
Let us face it - period can be painful and depressing but the outrageous and shocking ways menstruation is described, the myths, misconceptions, taboos, vile comments and taunts associated with it are pervasive and reinforce gender-based discrimination and human rights abuse.
Menstruation is a natural phenomenon and no female should be made to feel ashamed about it.
Some young people are afraid to go to school when they are menstruating for fear of being taunted by their mates and a 2014 UN report estimated that one in 10 girls in sub-Saharan Africa miss school during their menstrual periods.
UNFPA’s report
A 2018 report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) said global studies show a link between menstruation and lost wages. Women around the world experience limited access to sanitation facilities in the workplace.
Women are neither able to discuss their pre-menstrual symptoms (PMS) nor discuss other issues related to menstruation with their bosses or colleagues and do well to hide it.
They hide their sanitary pads or tampons when going to the bathroom and all the ‘trauma’ they go through during that period for fear of being ‘labelled’ or stigmatised.
Some have had to ask a friend to walk behind them and check if they have stained their clothes.
Females whose menstruation is associated with severe pain, nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhoea and weakness have a harder time as they are not able to freely discuss what they are going through on a monthly basis for fear of being tagged as “ lazy” by people who are ignorant about their condition.
Some women and girls cannot confidently say “I’m in my period” or “I’m menstruating” and have resorted to using ‘acceptable’ phrases as “that time of the month” or “monthly visitor” in order not to offend or be embarrassed by male colleagues.
SDGs
If we are to meet the Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), 4 (Quality Education), and 5 (Gender Equality), then it is about time we tackled period-shaming by not encouraging any conversation that seeks to mock or make absurd comments about menstruation.
We must have open and honest conversations and do away with the misinformation, myths and taboos that are associated with the menstrual life cycle of a woman.
It is certain that today, women and girls have come a long way from the days when they were isolated simply because they were in their period.
However, the taunting and subtle discrimination are far from over.
There is the need for education, giving the right information to make women and girls comfortable with their bodies as well as providing menstrual kits in homes, schools, offices to address the menstrual health needs of females.
This kind of education would be very beneficial in our churches and mosques.
The sad death of Jackline Chepngeno should not be in vain. Let’s end period shaming. To Jackline: you were not “dirty”.
Writer’s email: [email protected]
