We are in 2022 but the menstruation stigma still runs deep. Shame and secrecy surround conversations about periods -- a normal biological process for half the world’s population which lives with the ingrained idea that it is impolite to talk about it.
Bengaluru-based Boondh, a hybrid social enterprise, has created what it claims to be the first prevalence data report on menstrual discrimination in the country, based on its experience in raising awareness about practices that restrict and inhibit menstruators from participating in daily life activities.
During the two years of the pandemic, Boondh volunteers reached out to nearly 2,000 respondents – 65% of them between 16 and 25 years and the rest below 40 years – to find out how home, school and offices change for them when they bleed. An overwhelming 75% reported that they faced some form of menstrual discrimination from the time of attaining puberty.
