Experts come together to break taboo on menstruation

Chennai

The talk show aims to educate people on the process of menstruation and create awareness on the sanitation facilities in public places. Speaking to DT Next, Govind Murugan, Convener of Dhagam Foundation, said, “Menstruation is the basis of sex education. Sadly, teachers themselves are not comfortable talking about it. The event will empower them and give them a platform to talk about it.” 

“It is an open event and anyone can walk in for free. But we are mainly looking forward to male audience to optimise their mindset towards the opposite sex and help them converse better,” he added.  The event takes prudence, especially after the Department of Finance recently announced that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on sanitary napkins and tampons will be 12 per cent, while products like bindi and sindoor have no tax. The move has been criticised by people from across the country as sanitary products are a basic need for women. 

When asked about the challenges faced in planning the event, he said, “We received a lot of criticism from the older generation. They felt that women should stay indoors during their menstrual cycle and men should not talk about it. We want to make sure people talk about this, because periods are as normal as breathing and sleeping.” 

Geetha Ilangovan, the director of the documentary Menses, Kalpana, a professor at IIT Madras, Raghavi Shankar, the founder of ‘The Headway Foundation’, and Janani, a doctor, and a few other influential women in the city are attending the event. This event comes under the organisation’s Aval Initiative, that has an objective of creating proper sanitation facilities for women in the city and to cater to the sanitary needs of the underprivileged.

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