Free Flow

  Photo by Vulvani -   www.vulvani.com In 2021 menstruation is still a taboo subject that is not as openly discussed as it should be. In the pandemic we are currently going through, it is especially important to address the shame and stigma associated with menstruation before public life resumes.    Why menstruation is taboo…   The taboo of menstruation has developed over generations of cultural stigmas, which unfortunately still perpetuate today. A common widespread belief in many parts of the world is that menstruating women are impure or dirty. In India a surprisingly common belief is that women shouldn’t enter the kitchen as they will contaminate food. In Nepal, although illegal, women are often isolated from the household and made to live in a hut in a practice known as  Chhaupadi  for the same reason that they are considered impure. This raises concerns for women’s well-being as they can often be subjugated to unsafe living conditions where such practices are still prevalent.   S