Period taboo refers to the social and cultural stigma around menstruation, a natural process of a woman’s anatomy. The taboos about menstruation assume that a woman is impure during her periods; hence, she is forbidden from performing daily chores.
It’s high time we stop treating menstruation as a taboo and appreciate this remarkable biological process. With period-related issues becoming more and more prominent in the current times, talking and discussing about them will create a sense of awareness in society, which will lead to the eradication of unhealthy practices.
Menstrual Challenges Women Face At Work And Home
One might wonder—if menstruation is natural, why is it still treated as taboo? That is because of the lack of awareness and knowledge. Here, we will throw light on menstruation as a taboo at work and home, which can become especially challenging when stigma and discomfort are involved.
Periods In The workplace

- The workplace is where a person spends most of their time in a day. So, it must have basic amenities to help women during their cycles. But sadly, many organisations lack the basic facilities to provide menstrual products.
- In some workplaces, basic amenities—like clean, hygienic washrooms—are entirely absent.
- Approximately 40% of women experience severe menstrual cramps. Yet the stigma often silences them, so many manage pain in private.
Also Read: Menstrual Hygiene And Health: What You Need To Know
Periods At home
- Though with time, general perceptions of taboos related to menstruation have also evolved. But still, certain households lack a basic understanding of menses and mistreat menstruating women.
- The taboos on menstruation are so strong that women are not allowed to enter certain spaces, such as the kitchen and puja room in the house, assuming that they will pollute the place.
- When families lack awareness, it can leave women managing pain or heavy bleeding without the support they deserve, which can cause physical discomfort and emotional strain. Sometimes, they may even lack the basic menstrual product.
Also Read: A Parental Guide: How to Talk to Your Daughter About Periods?
Tips To address The Taboo
To grow and progress as a society, we must become aware of and address the problems prevailing in the community. Overcoming menstrual taboos is one such issue that needs immediate attention. Let's see how we can address this taboo.
Education And Awareness
Educating young minds about menstruation will encourage them to understand and eliminate menstruation as a taboo from a young age, making them responsible individuals in the future. Also, creating awareness among the masses through social media platforms and other programs will help debunk the myths surrounding menstruation as taboo.
Supportive Environment
Having a supportive environment in educational institutions and workplaces will ensure that periods and work can go hand in hand, hassle-free. Further, supporting women dealing with period shame will help to minimise such activities.
Implementing Policy Changes
Advocating for implementing policies that enable menstrual leave or flexible working hours for menstruating ladies to accommodate menstrual health issues will enhance their productivity to a great extent.
How To Bring Change
As the famous quote says, “Be the change you want to see in the world”- we have to initiate building a society that normalises periods and debunks the question of why talking about periods is taboo. Here are some tips that can help bring about a change.
Normalise Talking Openly

We have to talk openly about menstruation with our families, friends, peers and colleagues. Sharing stories and personal experiences can help break the ice around this topic. This is one of the menstrual stigma solutions.
Challenge Stigmas
Confronting the stigmas and bursting the common myths and misconceptions with authentication can suppress the negative stereotypes, helping increase the understanding of the process, unveiling the positive side of menses.
Leverage Technology
Develop apps and platforms that share reliable menstrual-health information and help users track their cycles.This will also help people keep track of dates and other menarche-related things, fostering menstrual health.
Conclusion
Menstruation is an inevitable process in a woman’s body, which plays a vital role in the reproductive system. However, this powerful biological process has too often been misunderstood and framed negatively due to a lack of education. The challenges that a woman goes through during her periods have been countless, and due to various misconceptions, it has only contributed to worsening things, be it in the workplace or at home. But with changing times, if we strive to eliminate menstruation as a taboo through tools like education, introducing policies, and discussing openly while utilising technology, it will surely be a giant step towards empowering women to have healthy, hygienic, and happy periods.
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