With the world celebrating Menstrual Hygiene Day over last weekend, experts decode why inclusive vocabulary is key to dismantling stigma
Women pledge to not use oblique terms to refer to menstruation by tearing away a cobweb of such phrases at Maasika Mahotsav in Thane. Pics courtesy/Instagram
Say it like it is
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Onlookers at the period festival
Terminology affects the experience of menstruators, believes Aditi Gupta, co-founder and managing partner, Menstrupedia, a start-up that devises innovative ways to spread awareness about menstruation. She points to how even doctors, especially in Tier-2 cities, refer to periods as “woh din [those days]” or “women’s problem”. “I think that just the usage of the correct term — menstruation or periods — will solve a lot of our problems,” explains the co-creator of the Menstrupedia Comic, the first of its kind in India. We also need to name the body parts correctly in all languages, she suggests — for instance, vagina or urethra. “Vagina, especially, is often referred to in demeaning ways in a lot of languages that furthers the idea that it can be branded impure,” she explains. While it’s important for policy-makers, medicos and social workers to use the right terms, the on-ground reality is different. “Often, to spread awareness, policy-makers and change-makers are the ones who end up creating more myths. I have heard top-most executives working to better menstrual health saying things like, ‘We teach the girls that periods are a good thing because your body is getting cleaned’” she reveals.
DON’T SAY: Woh din or those days or women’s problem
INSTEAD, SAY: Menstruation or periods
Talk, share, upgrade
Historically, we’ve been using terms such as sanitary napkins and feminine hygiene, which imply that periods are unsanitary, shares Dr Tanaya Narendra. Popular on social media as Dr Cuterus, Dr Narendra puts out informative, bite-sized videos smashing myths related to the human body, periods and sex, with a dose of humour. “This ties into the narrative that periods let out toxic blood, which is not true. The funny thing is that nobody ever calls condoms masculine hygiene!” She notes that the word feminine — frequently used in daily communication regarding menstruation — also emphasises that only women have periods or that you’re not a woman unless you have periods. “Language does shape a lot of our worldview and it’s fairly been misogynistic and patriarchal. For instance, if you’re having trouble conceiving and your ovaries are running out of eggs earlier, they call it premature ovarian failure. Imagine putting that diagnosis on somebody who is already concerned, and then you tell them you’re a failure,” she illustrates. Many of these problematic terms are part of textbooks that lead to medical professionals using them. “Our medical institutions and textbooks need a massive upgrade. And that’s where open conversations can be helpful,” she signs off.
DON’T SAY: Sanitary or hygienic products
INSTEAD, SAY: Menstrual product
Dust the cobweb
Most often, in the conversation on menstruation, those who bleed are categorised as women. In a fun Reel on Instagram, Maasika Mahotsav — an annual celebration of menstruation that’s initiated by Thane-based NGO Muse Foundation — sets the record straight by urging people to use the term “menstruators”. “By saying that only women menstruate, you are excluding trans people, non-binary folk, intersex people, those who are on menopause, among others,” says founder Nishant Bangera. He points out that the popular imagery associated with menstruation is that of an able-bodied woman. “When was the last time you saw an ad for menstrual products featuring a disabled woman? Be it through daily usage of words or the visual medium, we end up excluding populations of menstruators.”
Problematic vocabulary, he adds, is embedded at an individual level, even among women across households in India who use a codified language to refer to periods. This, he says, further exacerbates the stigma attached to menstruation. “Women say ‘happy birthday’ or ‘aunty flo’ or ‘matka futla’ [Marathi, for the pot is broken] or ‘kaavla shivla’ [Marathi, for crow touched you]. During Maasika Mahotsav, we create a cobweb of these terms. And while the programme is on, we encourage women to dust off this cobweb — that represents old archaic thoughts — and start afresh. Women take an oath to not use these terms, and instead call it periods,” he shares.
DON’T SAY: Women who menstruate and feminine products
INSTEAD, SAY: Menstruators, and pads, tampons or menstrual cups
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