For many around the world, menstruation is shrouded in shame, secrecy, and misunderstanding. From childhood, girls and women are taught to view their bodies—and their natural cycles—as dirty, weak, or cursed. But these harmful beliefs are being challenged by activists, educators, and everyday people who are reclaiming menstruation as a source of power, dignity, and health.
The Roots of Menstrual Shame
Radha Paudel’s story is a poignant example. At just seven years old, she noticed her mother’s monthly isolation: separate plates, different clothes, a distinct sleeping place, and exclusion from the kitchen and social or religious events. Her mother told her menstruation was a curse, that menstrual blood was dirty.
This early trauma haunted Paudel, leading her to plead with God to make her a boy—and even to a suicide attempt at age nine. When her own menstruation began, rather than submit to these degrading restrictions, she ran away. It was only through nursing education that she learned menstruation is a normal, healthy bodily function—and that these discriminatory practices are widespread, not confined to rural Nepal but prevalent even among educated urban women.
Menstrual Discrimination: A Global Problem
Radha Paudel’s experience echoes across continents. In many South Asian cultures, menstruating women face restrictions on cooking, temple visits, and contact with plants. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, myths warn that menstruating women working the fields will ruin the harvest. Some Pakistani communities forbid certain foods during menstruation.
Pacifique Doriane-Sognonvi, from Ivory Coast, first bled at 14, unaware what was happening. Her father warned her that touching a boy while menstruating would cause pregnancy—a falsehood she believed until adulthood. Such misinformation perpetuates fear and stigma.
Globally, around 500 million people lack access to basic menstrual products and hygiene facilities. In rural Congo, water scarcity makes menstrual care even more difficult. Without clean water, proper products, or underwear, infections and rashes are common, keeping girls out of school and women from work or religious ceremonies.
The Movement for Menstrual Dignity
Paudel has become a leading voice against menstrual discrimination, founding the Global South Coalition for Dignified Menstruation. She defines dignified menstruation as freedom from stigma, restrictions, abuse, and deprivation across all stages of life.
Her advocacy has reached the United Nations, urging the recognition of menstrual discrimination as a form of gender-based violence and a barrier to equality. Nepal’s 2017 dignified menstruation policy criminalizes discrimination with jail time or fines, signaling a powerful shift toward respect and rights.
Despite hostility and accusations of attacking tradition, Paudel remains resolute, seeing menstrual dignity as essential to dismantling patriarchy and achieving sustainable development.
Conversations and Access: Breaking the Silence
In the United States, too, the stigma persists—especially amid “period poverty,” where low-income menstruators cannot afford products. One in four students has struggled with this. Inspired by Nadya Okamoto’s Period Power, Aydan Garland-Miner founded a university chapter of the nonprofit PERIOD, distributing menstrual products and advocating for equity legislation.
Talking openly about menstruation, Garland-Miner insists, is crucial: “You don’t have to give a formal talk; just acknowledge that period poverty exists. The uncomfortable conversations are the ones we need most.”
Legislative progress is underway. States like Oregon provide free menstrual products in schools and have integrated menstrual health education. Activists are pushing to repeal the “tampon tax,” which classifies these necessities as luxury items, making them less accessible.
Menstrual Health in Crisis and Climate Contexts
In Congo, activist Crispine Ngena distributes reusable pads, soap, and water to displaced girls facing extreme hardship. Access to water is irregular due to climate change, complicating menstrual hygiene.
In Pakistan, Ayesha Amin’s organization Baithak educates thousands about menstrual health and combats myths, especially during climate disasters like the devastating 2022 floods. These events disproportionately impact menstruating women, who often resort to unsanitary materials, increasing infection risk.
Baithak works with governments to ensure disaster relief is gender-responsive, prioritizing menstrual needs during emergencies, despite encountering resistance.
Toward a Positive Menstrual Future
Menstruation need not be a source of shame or silence. With education, policy change, and open dialogue, it can be embraced as the natural, powerful process it is.
Miranda Gray, author of books on menstrual wisdom, emphasizes that positive societal attitudes begin with women themselves viewing their cycles with respect and awareness. When menstruation is included in human rights, health, education, and workplace discussions, true progress is possible.
Conclusion
From Nepal to the United States, from Congo to Pakistan, the struggle against menstrual stigma is both deeply personal and profoundly political. It involves reclaiming bodily autonomy, fighting gender inequality, and ensuring access to essential health resources.
Radha Paudel’s journey—from trauma to activism—embodies the power of rejecting shame. When menstruation is honored, supported, and understood, it becomes a wellspring of strength, dignity, and equality.
Find more about holistic women’s health and menstrual equity initiatives in the Spirit of Change online Alternative Health Directory.
