WHEN I was growing up, it was common practice for a shopkeeper to wrap a box of sanitary pads in newspaper or brown paper when a customer wanted to buy it.
It wasn't considered proper or polite to walk out of the store with the box unwrapped, as sanitary pads were not meant to be seen.
Menstruation has always been linked to taboos and women in some cultures continue to be viewed as "unclean" or "impure" during their periods.
"Period poverty" and "period stigma" are now terms commonly used to describe the challenges faced by women, particularly adolescent girls during menstruation, and these challenges range from not being able to afford sanitary pads and having to whisper about a natural bodily function, to having little knowledge about menstruation practices and its impact on reproductive health.
The Kotex Period Poverty and Stigma Study initiated last year among girls aged 10-24, revealed that more than half, wanted to skip school all the time or at times when menstruating and 68 per cent viewed menstruation as a taboo subject.
Period stigma exists because people have very little knowledge about what girls (and women) face during menstruation, explains educational psychologist and programme director for Bachelor of Psychology at Taylor's University School of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Rajalakshmi Ganesan.
People categorise it simply as "PMS", which doesn't do justice to the myriad of physical and emotional changes that take place during menstruation, she adds.
Speaking during a panel session organised in conjunction with the Kotex #SheCan project fund handover ceremony, she points out that girls themselves have this self limiting belief that they can't do certain things when they are menstruating, such as sports or other physical activities.
HOLDING GIRLS BACK
"Period stigma can lead to deeper self esteem issues and if unchecked, can result in greater gender inequality within society. If periods are seen as something that causes women to be cranky, dirty or moody, then periods will be perceived as something to be feared," stresses Rajalakshmi.
When a girl is stigmatised the moment she experiences her first period, she herself may believe that she's less capable than boys. This leads to unwillingness to participate in certain activities or absenteeism and when these girls become mothers themselves, they perpetuate the myths and taboos of menstruation.
Similarly, boys who have been exposed to such stigma will have a distorted view of a woman's capability and it influences the way they treat women.
Founder of social enterprise Kita Geenius, Alma Artin Vaqari, says it's crucial that boys and men be brought into the conversation.
Alma says we need to normalise menstruation and conversations about periods because that's the way to create awareness and break stigma and taboos. However, we can't achieve that by only engaging with girls or women.
"To break taboos, you can't just have one half of society on your side. You need everyone on board."
Gender Budget Group representative and founder of social enterprise Athena Empowers, Anja Juliah Abu Bakar agrees.
She says true progress can only be attained when women are supported alongside men to achieve their highest potential.
Normalising periods would mean boys and girls learn to emphathise with each other and become aware that premenstrual syndrome and menstrual bleeding are just part of a healthy biological process.
Anja points out that in some parts of rural Sabah, schoolgirls are stuffing coconut husks into socks to fashion sanitary pads because they don't have access to proper sanitary products and don't want to miss school during menstruation.
Access to clean, hygienic sanitary products is crucial but the issue of period poverty and period stigma goes well beyond that stresses Kimberly-Clark Malaysia marketing director Arvind Iyer.
Arvind says we also need to address menstrual education and hygiene, menstrual waste management and the link between menstrual health and reproductive health.
"We have to tackle this issue from multiple fronts, break the stigma one step at a time and our aim is to do it across the spectrum because that's when change will happen."
SUPPORTING THE CAUSE
THE Kotex #SheCan project seeks to reward programmes and ideas that empower women and girls to pursue their goals without being held back by their periods.
The 2021/2022 edition of this initiative saw teachers across 129 schools nationwide participating and ten teachers walked away with RM10,000 each. The grants received will be used to make schools more conducive for girls.
STIGMA AND TABOOS
MENSTRUAL taboos exist all over the world. Many of these practices are not rooted in logic, but are still prevalent in rural or conservative communities. These include:
*Forcing women and girls to isolate themselves from family members or live in shacks/separate living quarters during menstruation.
*Being told they cannot consume certain foods or not allowed to touch certain foods and crops during menstruation.
*Warned against using tampons or menstrual cups due to the mistaken belief that it impacts virginity or fertility.
*Told they cannot shower or bathe during menstruation as ill health or infertility will follow.
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