Any girl post-puberty understands the awkwardness of asking a friend to check for that specific stain on her dress after getting up from a chair. The frustration of searching for a sanitary pad in her bag, or curling up in bed with a hot water bottle to ease those cramps is all too familiar. A week of emotional turmoil, nauseating pain, and bloody breakdowns - only to face the same cycle again next month.

Mother Nature has a way of keeping us grounded, and menstruation is just one of those experiences. 

Linked to healthy female reproduction, it is a natural phenomenon and yet, our societies often view it as anything but normal, leading to stigma. Conversations around the topic usually tend to focus on the inconvenience and embarrassment it can bring, rather than embracing the reality of femininity. 

Menstrual shaming
Menstruation has often been viewed as impure in various cultures around the world. Items like clothes, pads, or tampons meant for menstrual care are frequently discredited or required to be concealed, even when they are clean and unused due to the unspoken shame associated with menstruation. Women often find themselves needing to speak discreetly about the matter, quietly asking, “Do you have a pad?” while quickly passing the item to avoid drawing unnecessary attention. Societal expectations dictate that menstrual blood must be hidden, and any leaks that result in stains are seen as sources of shame and ill luck.

Dismissing period symptoms
Legitimate health issues related to menstruation are frequently dismissed as insignificant and are often overlooked. Women are often portrayed as emotionally unstable and irrational during their premenstrual and menstrual phases, with menstruation itself seen as a crippling experience rather than a topic worthy of thorough examination. 

Due to the insufficient research and attention directed towards women’s reproductive health, many individuals’ health conditions are left to deteriorate, ultimately reaching a stage where medical intervention may no longer be effective. This stigma clearly has detrimental effects on a woman’s physical and mental well-being, influences social interactions, and lowers quality of life. As a result, many struggling women may feel incompetent and isolated.

Lack of proper menstrual education
Research indicates that in some communities, young girls are often unaware of menstruation until they experience their first period. This is particularly evident in South Asian cultures, where discussions about puberty and maturity are frequently considered "shameful" and are avoided, resulting in a significant lack of awareness. This absence of open dialogue hinders empathy and the development of resilience. Additionally, young girls who have just started their period are typically discouraged  - from engaging in conversations about it with men and to only discuss it with trusted older women. While this may be an attempt to protect them from potential embarrassment by males who may not handle the topic maturely, it ultimately restricts the understanding of menstruation for both girls and boys in the community, only perpetuating feelings of shame and disconnection surrounding the subject.

Ignoring critical menstrual needs
“Period poverty” encompasses more than just the unaffordability of menstrual hygiene products and the taxes imposed on them. It also includes limited access to these products, insufficient water and sanitation facilities in schools and workplaces for women and girls to manage their menstrual hygiene, inadequate disposal options, and a general lack of education regarding menstrual health.

An analysis conducted by Advocata in 2021 revealed that the rate of absolute period poverty in Sri Lanka stands at 50%. This reveals that half of the households with menstruating individuals in Sri Lanka do not include menstrual pads in their monthly essential purchases. However, the current situation may be even worse considering the impact the economic crisis would have had on the country.

With disposable sanitary pads out of reach, many women resort to reusing clothes or rags that cannot be sanitised thoroughly due to limited access to water. Women in rural areas often struggle to rinse out these rags at public taps, which may be their only source of clean, running water. In some instances, they wash their rags alongside other clothing and kitchen items at public wells. Often, these rags are not dried properly before being reused, increasing the risk of reproductive tract infections and cervical cancer, which is the second most common cancer among women in Sri Lanka.

The education of young girls in Sri Lanka is also facing severe challenges. Before the economic crisis, around 37% of female students missed school for one or more days during their periods. This was predominantly due to feelings of embarrassment and shame at school, stemming from a lack of proper sanitary supplies and restrooms that accommodate menstruation, as well as parents who discouraged attendance during this time due to outdated and taboo beliefs surrounding menstruation. Unfortunately, this figure has now increased to 50% since the economic crisis, and it is likely to keep rising unless the government takes action to terminate unreasonable taxes on menstrual products. Additionally, period poverty can contribute to mental health struggles, as many women have shared experiencing depression linked to the stress of not being able to afford necessary menstrual supplies.

Challenging the stigma
It all begins with the women in our society, and it starts with having open conversations.

Terms like “Aunt Flo,” “Girl Flu,” and “that time of the month” are euphemisms created to curtain the shame surrounding a natural occurrence. We should first simply refer to it as what it is – a period.

The idea of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) has encouraged some women to share their experiences and challenges related to menstruation. Yet, many still dismiss the topic, suggesting that a menstruating woman’s struggles are merely psychological, which can lead to feelings of isolation. As a community, we need to be more supportive and understanding of women facing these challenges, ensuring they feel safe to voice their concerns. This reinforces the notion that issues related to menstruation are significant medical matters that should be addressed by healthcare professionals specializing in women’s health, rather than something women should handle alone. It’s essential for the medical community, women themselves, and society at large to acknowledge healthy menstruation as a natural process.

To foster a better understanding among the public, it would be beneficial for both governmental and non-governmental organizations to launch educational initiatives that inform everyone about menstrual health. These programs should cover not just the process of menstruation but also, its vital role in femininity and fertility. By promoting these ideas, we can shift perceptions of menstruation, helping it to be recognized as a valuable aspect of women’s health. Increased awareness can help eliminate the misconceptions surrounding menstruation and encourage social changes that empower women to engage fully in education, work, and daily life without feeling ashamed.

Sri Lanka’s progressive steps
Several remarkable women in Sri Lanka are pioneering efforts to combat the stigma surrounding menstruation in our society. They have made significant strides, such as creating the country's first biodegradable sanitary napkin and engaging in launching Fio, Sri Lanka's first menstrual tracker app. 

One notable effort was organized by the SAARC Chamber of Women Entrepreneurs Council (SCWEC), which introduced an eco-friendly sanitary pad called Sinidu, designed to be affordable for low-income women. SCWEC treasurer and founder of Sinidu, Sitti Jezaayar Hassendeen, revealed that it is produced using a low-cost manufacturing machine, the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, along with biodegradable pulp of a locally grown tree bark from India. A machine was provided to a local prison in Colombo after Hassendeen discovered that each female inmate received only three sanitary pads per month. She aims to expand this initiative, ensuring access to clean and hygienic menstrual products for women all around the country while promoting entrepreneurship among low-income women. Hassendeen emphasizes that “menstrual hygiene is not a luxury, it’s a necessity,” and her project embodies the spirit of “women supporting women.”

Anudi Gunasekara is another exceptional figure, making an impact that goes far beyond her title as Miss World Sri Lanka 2024/25. With a strong belief in “beauty with a purpose”, she established the Saheli Foundation in 2021, a nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing period poverty in Sri Lanka. Through donations, awareness initiatives, and partnerships, Saheli aims to provide essential hygiene products to women and girls, especially those facing challenges in prisons or rural communities. Anudi's mission is to educate both young and older women, cultivate discussions about the critical issues surrounding menstrual poverty, and break the cycles that perpetuate stigma.

As more women confront the challenges of menstrual stigma imposed by past generations, we all have a role to play in eliminating the shame associated with these issues. It's critical to promote proactive attitudes rather than ignoring the problem, regardless of gender. Acknowledging that menstruation is a natural phenomenon that deserves care and understanding is vital for creating a safer and more inclusive community for women. Such awareness should ideally extend beyond Women’s Day, as the reality of menstruation will persist as long as women do.