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Writing and Communication SS-100

20th December 2018

How does the society discriminate against menstruating women?

“Alisha Coleman lost her job as a 911 dispatcher in 2016 after she ‘unexpectedly’ got

her period and accidentally leaked onto an office chair, leaving a stain” (Mignucci). Human

emotions, such as hatred, love, lust, and jealousy along with many others have always been in

the way to prevent humans from behaving rationally as they lead to bias. This bias leads to

unfair treatment towards others, known as discrimination. Discrimination is deeply rooted in

the society and takes many different forms based on gender, race, cast, creed and color, with

gender discrimination being the most prevalent. Due to this, women have always been

subjected to discrimination in the workplace, their homes, and also at schools in some

countries. Most of this unfair treatment towards females can be attributed to natural factors

that are even beyond their control such as their biological buildup, including their monthly

menstrual cycle, which is also known as period. As mentioned above, Alisha Coleman is an

example of the many women who face discrimination in the workplace solely because of their

menstrual cycle. Although a lot of feminist movements have been initiated to empower

women because of their menstrual cycle, menstruation is still a microcosm of the

discrimination women face in the society due to the associated societal stigmas, religious

restrictions, and the willful negligence of the state towards menstruating women.

The menstrual cycle is a biological phenomenon according to which the uterine lining of

a woman’s uterus is shed. If the egg released by a woman’s ovaries is fertilized in the ovulation
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phase, a fetus is developed, and the uterine lining supports and nourishes the developing baby.

However, if this does not happen, the thick lining is shed during her period. During a woman’s

period, blood and other tissues are discharged from the uterus through her vagina. Moreover, the

duration of the menstrual cycle is around twenty-eight days on average, whereas “The average

duration of menstrual flow is between four and six days, but the normal range in women can be

from as little as two days up to eight days. The average amount of menstrual blood is 30ml, and

over 60 ml is considered abnormal” (Reed). Girls experience their first period in the age between

eight to sixteen, which is known as the menarche phase, and they experience their last menstrual

cycle at the age of around forty, which is known as menopause. Menstrual flow is an inevitable

phase that every woman has to go through each month. Furthermore, it is not a voluntary process

where the flow can be controlled by any means.

Despite menstruation being as natural of a biological process as reproduction and

metabolism, it has always been associated with myths and stigmas. In the ancient times,

“menstruating women were strongly associated with mystery, magic, and even sorcery. For

example, Pliny the Elder, a Roman author and natural philosopher, wrote that a nude

menstruating woman could prevent hailstorms and lightning, and even scare away insects from

farm crops” (Bushak). Other myths include the Mayan mythology according to which

“menstruation was believed to have originated as a punishment after the Moon Goddess…Her

menstrual blood was believed to have been stored in thirteen jars, where it was magically

transformed into snakes, insects, poison, and even diseases” (Bushak). In addition to that, the

menstrual blood was also considered important for medicinal purposes as it was considered a

vital ingredient for some medicines. Moreover, there was always a religious and social stigma

associated with it due to which women had to ‘mask’ their period around everyone else. They
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had to take measures to neutralize the odor of the blood by carrying sweet-smelling herbs around

their necks and waists (Bushak), considering the fact that they had no menstrual hygiene supplies

such as pads or tampons for this time. As ages passed, the knowledge about menstruation

became more accessible due to biological research. Developments were made, such as the launch

of sanitary pads, tampons and even proof resistant underwear (known as THINX), yet

menstruation still remains a taboo topic in the society, which leads to discrimination against the

women.

The primary reason for the discrimination women face, due to menstruation, is because of

the associated societal stigma, which is also known as period shaming. While menstruation is a

globally shared experience amongst women, it is considered a taboo topic. According to a

research conducted on fifteen hundred women and five hundred men by THINX, around “58%

of women have felt a sense of embarrassment simply because they were on their period. 42% of

women have experienced period-shaming, with one in five being made to have these feelings

because of comments made by a male friend” (“Nearly Half of US Women Have Experienced

‘period Shaming’”). Furthermore, in general stores, when women have to purchase tampons or

sanitary pads for their monthly needs, they are coerced into carrying those in khaki bags, where

as there is no such tradition of ‘veiling’ adult or baby diapers. Although all of these items are

necessities, are classified under the same category, and are even placed in the same shelves at

every store, only menstrual hygiene products are to be hidden when carried by women. Even at

homes, women have to hide these sanitary napkins on their way to the bathroom in fear of

embarrassing themselves in front of their male family members. This has been proved by the

same research mentioned above that concludes “Almost three-quarters (73%) of women

surveyed have hid a pad or tampon from view on their way to the bathroom; 65% have worn
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specific clothes that wouldn’t show a leak if it were to happen; and 29% have cancelled plans,

like swimming or exercising, that may have exposed the fact that they were on their period”

("Nearly Half of US Women Have Experienced 'period shaming'"). In addition to that, girls are

taught to keep their period a secret and not talk about menstruation in public because of the fear

of being judged. This is why there are “5,000 slang words used to refer to menstruation in 10

different languages” (Litman), such as Mother Nature, Aunt Flo, and Shark Week. This has been

further backed up by a survey conducted at LUMS, according to which, 65.8% of the students

surveyed, including both males and females, stated that they felt uncomfortable holding a

conversation regarding menstruation with the opposite gender (see fig.1 and fig.2).

Additionally, the culture surrounding menstruation in many parts of the world is

discriminating and oppressive. In Nepal, there is a specific tradition called Chhapaudi, “which is

characterized by banishment of women during menstruation from their usual residence due to

supposed impurity, is in existence in the mid-and far-western regions of Nepal” (Kadariya and

Aro). Furthermore, in many areas of India, menstruating girls are affected by period shaming to

such an extent that they have to quit their schools. Around “23% of the girls quit school annually

when they start menstruating” (NBC News). One of those innocent girls was Priyanka Ghodke

who was avoided by her friends and teachers at school as well as by her parents at her home,

where she was forced to stay outside her house for the duration of her period, sometimes even

without food, because she had to follow her family custom which deemed her as impure (NBC

News). This exclusion deprives them of interacting with their communities. In addition to that,

these customs clearly represent the unfair treatment towards women because of the way that the

patriarchal society has constructed the views on menstruating women. The messages received by
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women due to these customs are of disgrace and embarrassment and make them appear inferior

to men.

Apart from the social stigmatization of menstruation, the religious restrictions imposed

on menstruating women are also a leading cause for discrimination against them. Women are

regarded as unclean and impure in many religions including Islam and Judaism. According to the

Quran, which is considered the primary source of guidance for the Muslims, men are advised to

stay away from them as it says, “They are a hurt and a pollution; so keep away from women in

their courses and do not approach (have sexual intercourse with) them until they are clean” (The

Quran, 2:222). Not only are they prohibited to offer their daily obligations such as prayers,

fasting or pilgrimage, but they are also not allowed to even go inside a mosque or the graveyard

because of their “impurity”. This means that they may not maintain a strong emotional

connection with their God when they eagerly want to, in the way that is prescribed for all

Muslims, when men can. Further, in the month of Ramadan, menstruating women are refrained

from fasting. Although it might sound like a break for some, but for others it can be “such a

perpetuation of filth, isolation, and invalidity foster a broken image of self” as felt by Zoha

Qamar, an analyst at the New York Times. Hence, it makes them feel deprived of the rewards of

the blissful nights of Ramadan, especially when they see others in their communities rushing to

Mosques.

Apart from Islam, in Judaism, discrimination is evident through the behavior of the

people around the menstruating women, which is a result of the religious beliefs they hold.

According to an article about Jewish beliefs, “A priest whose mother, wife, or any other female

member of the household is menstruating, may not bless the people, lest his blessing become a

curse; a Sage who partakes of food prepared by a menstruant will forget his learning; a
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menstruant’s spit, breath, and speech cause impurity in others” (Steinberg 12). This shows the

extent of mental and physical suffering that a woman has to go through, hence undermining her

position in the society by making her feel inferior to men, even in her household. Even the

connotation of the term “pot of filth”, as mentioned in the same article, makes it appear as if

these menstruating women are deprived of their respect just because they are experiencing an

inevitable natural process which happens on a monthly basis. Despite the suffering that women

face because of menstruation, religious beliefs appear as “justifications” for the said

discrimination in the society as these beliefs are regarded to be irrefutable by the masses. In both

of the religions, women have to purify themselves after their menstruation ends, which further

degrades them as it shows that they are unclean, and they need to get rid of the dirt caused by

menstruation. Moreover, sexual intercourse is also prohibited for menstruating women in both

religions which implies that they are deprived of fulfilling their sexual desires during that

particular time. According to the Jewish law, known as Halakha, as prescribed in the Book of

Leviticus, “if a man lie[s] with a menstruating woman and reveal her nakedness, and she

revealed the fountain of her blood, both of them will be cut off from among their people"

(Bhartiya). This makes it evident that menstruation not only has a discriminatory effect on the

woman, but also affects her social life atrociously.

Another reason for the discrimination towards menstruating women is the willful

negligence of the state towards them. This negligence includes factors such as the unavailability

and unaffordability of sanitary products in many areas. For example, “In the West Bengal…only

11.25 % of girls used disposable sanitary pads with availability and affordability being stated as

the key obstacle to more widespread use” (Thérèse and Fernandes). Another example is that, “In

Kenya, the average package of sanitary pads will cost 55 Kenyan shillings…this might not seem
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like a significant amount of money, in a country where the average daily wage for the unskilled

labor is just about double that, it isn’t hard to see why buying sanitary pads is so often a luxury

for most women. In fact, 90% of the women worldwide will rely on using some form of

alternative method or homemade pad because it is simply too expensive to be continually

purchasing pads each month” (TEDx Talks). To further add to that, there are sales taxes and

value added taxes imposed on these products everywhere across the globe, such as a 5% tampon

tax in the United Kingdom (“Tampon tax: How much have you spent?”), thus making them even

more unaffordable. While this not only implies that women’s monthly “needs” are treated by the

state as luxuries, it also means that the government is neglecting the basic needs of the women

who make up a significant part of their population. Moreover, this ignorance leads to

discrimination in the workplace and even schools because of the women’s forced absenteeism

due to the lack of access to these important supplies, which places them at a disadvantage

compared to their male counterparts. Furthermore, the state is also ignorant towards menstruating

inmates in the prison. Even these women are not provided with sanitary napkins, and it is not

because of any financial limitations, but it is just to humiliate women. Chandra Bozelko, who

had spent 6 years of her life as an inmate at the York Correctional Institution, states that “Stains

on clothes seep into self-esteem and serve as an indelible reminder of one’s powerlessness in

prison…the prison controls your cleanliness, your health and your feelings of self-esteem”. This

is again an example of discrimination as women are deprived of their basic human right and are

forced to appear as helpless. Although maintaining menstrual hygiene is as significant as going

to the toilet, no one has to beg anyone to go to toilet, yet when it comes to sanitary napkins, their

needs are arbitrarily ignored, and their dignity is compromised.

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On the contrary, it is true that a lot of efforts are being made to empower women in the

society because of their menstruation. Internationally recognized platforms have been

established, such as the Menstrual Hygiene Day, whose partnership network consists of more

than five hundred social impact organizations, who work for spreading menstrual hygiene

awareness and fighting the stigma attached with it (“About Menstrual Hygiene (MH) Day”), and

Femme International, which serves the same purpose. Other efforts include movies such as

Padman, which is about menstrual hygiene, and individual efforts made by people like Kiran

Gandhi, who ran the London Marathon without wearing a pad to fight the menstrual taboo.

Although these efforts aim to put an end to this discrimination by empowering women, they have

not been well received by the patriarchal society, which further aggravates the situation. These

efforts have been subjected to criticism. For example, Padman was banned across countries like

Pakistan and raised controversies in India as well. A member of the provincial board of Pakistan

said, "We cannot allow a film whose name, subject and story are not acceptable yet in our

society" ("Akshay Kumar's Pad Man Banned in Pakistan: Reports"). Moreover, Kiran Gandhi

was also criticized and called “disgusting” and “unladylike” for her menstrual blood leakage

during the marathon. To further add to the dismay, in 2014 Femme International’s content about

menstrual education was deemed “inappropriate” due to which it was removed from a segment

on a popular morning news show in Toronto (TEDx Talks). These examples prove that the

patriarchal society is not even willing to accept and address the problems that women face

throughout their lives and it is a battle that is yet to be won. Moreover, the statement made by the

provincial board also indicates that women are being targeted for being themselves since

menstruation is not only a vital part of their bodies, but it is also a recognition of their femininity,

which according to such examples, is undermined and deemed unacceptable in the country.
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When a state refuses to acknowledge and take corrective measures for an issue affecting its

female population, the rest of the people start considering the matter to be insignificant which

then leads to further discrimination against women.

Conclusively, the taboo surrounding menstruation is still an issue that remains unsolved.

It seems that humans have continuously progressed in nearly all walks of life; however, the truth

lies in the fact that they have failed to change their conventional mindset which leads to

discrimination and a patriarchal society. This can be attributed to the taboo attached with

menstruation in the society, religious beliefs and practices, and the state’s ignorance towards

menstruating women. Despite many attempts being made by the human rights’ activists to end

the stigma and discrimination, the society is still reluctant to address women’s problems, hence

hindering the efforts made by these activist groups. The state, along with the support of its

people, should accept and respect women for the way they function, so that women are no longer

looked down upon and treated as untouchables.

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Fig. 1.

Fig. 2.
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<http://menstrualhygieneday.org/about/about-mhday/>

"Akshay Kumar's Pad Man Banned in Pakistan: Reports." DAWN.COM. N.p., 10 Feb. 2018.

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Bhartiya, Aru. “Menstruation, Religion and Society.” International Journal of Social Science

and Humanity, vol. 3, no. 6, 2013. Web.

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Bozelko, Chandra. "Prisons That Withhold Menstrual Pads Humiliate Women and Violate Basic

Rights | Chandra Bozelko." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 12 June 2015.

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_analysis_of_ethical_aspects>

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<https://pha.berkeley.edu/2018/06/05/menstruation-stigma-must-stop-period/>

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Steinberg, Jonah. “From a ‘Pot of Filth’ to a ‘Hedge of Roses’ (And Back): Changing

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The Qur’an. Trans. M.A.S. Abdel Haleem. Oxford UP, 2005.

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