The Relevancy & Urgency: 8th December, day for Dignified Menstruation

Dignified Menstruation is an ground-breaking approach to assess the activities across all sectors for equality and justice. Simply, it is a solution for long struggled and journey of equality and justice of many of us. To know more about Dignified Menstruation, need to unveil about menstrual discrimination as other side of the Dignified Menstruation or as problem.

Menstrual Discrimination is an umbrella term uses for ranges of perceptions and practices around menstruation includes taboos, shyness, stigma, restrictions, abuses, violence, deprivation from resources and services throughout the life cycle of menstruators. It is not a single act or event or period. Irrespective to education, region, religion, it has been practicing all over the world in different names (5000 euphemism), forms, and magnitude. It is also not liner but complex and multifaceted. Menstrual Discrimination plays a primary role to construct and socialize the power relationship and reinforcement of the patriarchy. It is started from childhood and goes in a spiral away throughout the life cycle of both menstruators and non-menstruators and form a vicious circle. According to the UN’s definition (1993), it is a form of Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) violence and also fuels to occur other forms of SGBVs including child marriage. One menstrual perceptions and practice may fall more than two types of SGBV. For instance, if a menstruator is not allow to cook the food in kitchen because of menstruation, it is a form of physical, emotional violence as well as deprivation from resources and services as UN’s definition of SGBV. Likewise, it is violation of human rights. In the above example, there are multiple forms of human rights are violated such as right to dignity, right to freedom, right to equality, right to food, right to mobility, right to health etc.

In a course of human right since 1948, the menstrual discrimination is missing. It is not considered as violation of human rights though there are many international human rights instruments are in place such as CEDAW 1979, Beijing Platform for Action 1995, Child Rights Convention 1989, SDG 2030, ILO C 190 etc. The Menstrual Discrimination untouched while having conversation around Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) campaigns the anatomy and physiology of human reproductive organs or menstrual management is not unpacking the menstrual discrimination. Even the Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESIs) policies yet to acknowledge the complexity of menstrual discrimination and effect of it in all aspects of the lives primarily as determinants for power relationship and patriarchy.  

Likewise, menstrual discrimination is missing in a year’s days celebrations globally such as February 14- One Billion Rising, March 8-Women’s Day, April 7- World Health Day, May 1: Labor Day, May 28: Menstrual Hygiene Day, June 5: Environment Day, July 11: Population Day, September 21: Peace Day, September 28: Abortion Day, October 11: Girl Child Day, November 25-December: 16 days activism etc. These days are linked with the Dignified Menstruation directly and indirectly but not dedicated for Dignified Menstruation as specific day. Many activists/scholars claimed that the May 28 is enough to address all forms of Menstrual Discrimination. Indeed, May 28 is Hygiene day which has two implications; i) it is primarily focus on menstrual management. It only address the few sets of discriminatory menstrual practices and not necessarily guarantee the dignity of menstruators; ii) the menstrual blood is pure and clean so it should not sanitize as like sanitize the hands after touching the patients or clients in vaccination or family planning clinic. In the other hand, if we keep saying the menstrual hygiene, we are imposing the ideas that the menstrual blood is impure and dirty psychologically. Recently, few organizations including GSCDM started to mark the 28 May as Menstrual Health Day. The definition of Menstrual Health is revised in 2021. However, it primarily concerned for health issues related with menstruation and menopause. The social and cultural norms which is formed and shape by menstrual discrimination is remained same or not prioritized. Because of such bunch of social and cultural norms associated with menstruation provoke to practice the discriminatory menstrual practices. For instance, why does the access with quality menstrual pad is problem because of the menstruation considered as dirty, impure, or unclean, state of weak and menstruators also considered as inferior, disadvantaged or unimportant at home, school, community, workplace, parliament and everywhere. Of course, there are many other factors of inequality and injustices though the menstrual discrimination is primary regardless to global north or global south.

For GCSDM, the each moment is Dignified Menstruation moment and wish for celebration. Practically, it is not feasible. Therefore, by considering the menstrual discrimination as SGBV and violation of human rights, the 8^th December select for mark the dignified menstruation day. 8^th December represent the 14^th days of 16 days activism and also represent the month of human right, December. It is emerged from the lived experience of a survivor of menstrual discrimination from global south. In summary, the Dignified Menstruation is a Decolonized, Innovative, Holistic, Transformative, Feminist, Human Rights and Life Cycle Approach for equality and justice in all aspects of life. This approach accelerates the inclusion because it divided the population on the basis of uterus like menstruator & non-menstruator, fosters the equal power relationship where the non-menstruators socialize with sets of accountability and menstruators socialize with pride and power. It also helps to dismantle patriarchy. More importantly, its not confined for five days bleeding. In other word, it is the approach beyond menstrual products, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene). It plays crucial role to prevent SGBVs including child marriage. And of course a boon for improving the SRHR and Comprehensive Sexual Education, as an entry point. The Dignified Menstruation friendly home, school and community allows enough space for bodily autonomy and making choices. Having and rejoicing the Dignified Menstruation is all about promotion of human rights. In short, Dignified Menstruation is appeal to change the narrative around menstruation from hygiene to Dignity and five days bleeding to Life Cycle approach.

GSCDM also like to clarify that the initiation to mark the 8^th December as Dignified Menstruation day is not competition with any organization or individuals. It started from pain and struggles. Based on decade’s long experiences of working around women in peace and politics, prevention and response of SGBV through various organizations and capacities, Founder of GSCDM, urges to challenges our deeds and endeavor for filling the gap. Just a 2 days before the Human Rights day, or completion of 16^th day of activism, 8^th December is just a combo to remind all stakeholders to embrace the menstruation which is means of our existence. By this note, as a founder of GSCDM, appeal each of you from any corner of the world to advocate on Dignified Menstruation because the root of all of us is menstruation.