Debunking period taboos around the world

Menstruation myths have been pulling the strings on how women navigate festivals across cultures for ages. 🤧

From being told to skip the temple to steering clear of the kitchen, period stigma only worsens the discomfort. It's mind boggling how universal this experience is for women!

But we’re here to bust these taboos and break the cycle—because it's time to flow freely without the nonsense! 💪🏼

 

🩸India: “Impure" Blood

Myth: In India, menstruation myths run rampant, especially during religious festivals like Diwali, Navratri, or Durga Puja. Women are often told they can’t enter temples or take part in rituals while on their period because they’re seen as "impure." 😖

Reality Check: Let’s set the record straight: menstruation is a natural bodily function, not a spiritual disqualifier! Thankfully, more people are calling out this nonsense, and movements across India are working to flush out these outdated beliefs. 😮‍💨

 

✨Nepal: Chhaupadi

Myth: Chhaupadi – Menstruating women are banished into isolation, often sent to unsafe huts, claiming that periods bring bad luck and impurity. 😵 It’s practised particularly during Tihar.

Reality Check: Chhaupadi is illegal, but it’s still happening in some rural areas. Activists are fighting hard to put this harmful practice in the past, because isolating women in unhygienic sheds is not just unfair—it’s downright dangerous. The idea that periods bring misfortune? Total myth. ❌

 

🪭Japan: Jinxing Sumo

Myth: Menstruating women can jinx Sumo wrestling matches during festivals like Obon 👀

Reality Check: These ideas are ancient, but that doesn’t make them accurate. Periods don’t affect luck, wrestling, or festivals! Younger generations are stepping up and challenging these backward superstitions—because it’s high time women fully enjoy these traditions without fear of being bad luck charms! 🪽

 

🌙Middle East: Menstruation and Ramadan

Myth: In many Middle Eastern countries, women on their periods are told they can’t pray during Ramadan, since menstruation is considered a ‘time of impurity’ (see a pattern?). While skipping fasting is allowed, the stigma around periods often makes women feel ashamed for menstruating during holy days. 😓

Reality Check: Yes, religious texts may grant women a pass on fasting during their period, but that doesn’t mean they’re any less spiritually worthy. Let’s drop the shame and understand that periods are just another part of the natural cycle of life. 🌀

 

🎊Africa: Exclusion from Festivals

Myth: Menstrual blood is 🚨"dangerous”🚨 – weakening men/warriors, affecting fertility or the health of their harvest. They were also considered to reduce the potency of spiritual practices. 🫤

Reality Check: These beliefs are rooted in ancient superstition (if warriors didn’t give that away), not science. Back then, menstrual blood was considered “mystic” – there was little scientific awareness. Activists across Africa are working to shift this narrative and ensure women are welcomed in every aspect of cultural life—no matter what time of the month it is! 🩸🩸🩸

 

🌱It’s Time for Change

Festival season shouldn’t come with a side of exclusion!

Period myths are being 🔨smashed🔨 from India to the Middle East, as women reclaim their right to fully participate in cultural life (as they should!!!). ⚡

The takeaway? Menstruation is natural, and women have no reason, backed by science, to be sidelined during festivals—or any other time! Ditch these outdated taboos and make sure to celebrate without shame – you have every reason to! 🥳

 

Sources:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4408698/

https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/12/9/749

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/water/brief/menstrual-health-and-hygiene

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/05/menstruation-myth-why-are-african-women-still-paying-for-it/