Youth Voice’s Celebration of World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2016 has been successfully accomplished by organizing 3 cycling rallys in Khulna , Chittagiong and Dhaka city.
Hundreds of riders voiced together to support and aware people of the taboos and hygiene factors regarding Menstruation.
Tahmid K Chowdhury
Founder/President Youth's Voice Foundation
“The biggest problem we have, which is directly related to women empowerment, is the idea of shame. The idea to address Menstruation and it’s hygiene factors occurred to me during a blanket distribution drive being carried out in winter of 2014. While collecting aid for the winter affected people we received a lot of panties to be given away. This got me curious and we did a bit of research. Sooner we learned the undergarments were being given away for underprivileged women of those who can’t afford new panties in order to enhance hygiene factors during monthly Menstruation. In places such as rural Nepal, menstruating girls are not allowed to eat with their families. Many are not allowed to play outside or interact with others. In Muslim countries, during Ramadan, menstruating girls do not eat food out of shame, even though they are constantly in need of energy. Anything to do with the menstrual cycle is shameful — that’s the idea being perpetuated. And if you want to change this country, move ahead, you have to get past this shame. It is the shame that creates the secrecy, which, in turn, leads to a culture of silence that does not allow open discussions on menstrual health. Thus, issues such as infections, menstrual cramps, and other effects are never discussed, further perpetuating both the struggles and the silence. And that is what needs to be addressed. In this era of Globalisation framing Menstruation as a taboo and not speaking of it questions the legitimacy of the society we breathe and live in. Let’s Talk About It. Let’s break the silence.”
