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Dear Friends from AHF, Steering committee members and
national coordinators of GSCDM, executive committee and members of DMC Nepal,
Media and all participants who are joining here and online from all around the
globe,
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Namaste, Salam Alekam, good morning, good afternoon
and good evening!
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All protocol observed.
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On behalf of Global South Coalition for Dignified
Menstruation, I congratulate each of you who are born with uterus and ovaries
globally. We are not only rejoicing our blood but also celebrating human
existence in this planet.
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Here, I would like to remember the girls, women,
transmen and queer who quit their lives by themselves, who lost their lives due
to undignified conditions, who are living in harsh conditions due to invisible
to visible, direct and indirect forms of menstrual discrimination throughout
their lives within all diversities.
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Today, friends from over 56 countries are celebrating
this auspicious moment `4th international dignified menstruation day
with the theme of `dignified menstruation for ending child marriage’ by
organizing various activities.’
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For instance, our steering committee member, Viluthu, Sri
Lanka is hosting a day long international conference. It will start in the next
hour. We encourage each of you to join there too. The zoom details are available
via our social media.
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Likewise, steering committee member from Malawi, North
America and other partners have been leading the regions and countries
accordingly.
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However, some of our colleagues including the UN, have
strong resistance to acknowledge the urgency of dignified menstruation. In
other hand, few friends have bit released there bands of resistance recently,
few don’t like to transform and many are joining spontaneously here and there from
all around the globe.
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Whatever the case, we proudly claim that the dignified
menstruation is new paradigm shifting in the course of development, feminism
and human rights. And those who are onboard already are paving the way of
dignified menstruation at individual to global policy discourse and making the
history.
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A big applaud to them.
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Here, I would also like to commemorate my late mother
who ruined away my heart about 40 years back, a turning point for searching menstrual
dignity.
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Often, we are receiving comments, questions about why are
we marking the dignified menstruation day for 8th December. Let me
remind you briefly; 8th December is the 14th of 16 days activism against
GBV. It means any kind of menstrual discrimination is a form of gender based violence.
It could be manifested as sexual or emotional or physical or deprivation from
resources & services or all of them at once. You may call it as domestic or
family violence or violence against women and girls. Most importantly,
menstrual discrimination constructs and socializes the power and patriarchy. It
impacts on lives of menstruators in systemic and symptomatic manner and very
much overlap each other. Thus, it is the cause and effect for many kinds of
gender based violence including Female Genital Mutilation, HIV or even Child
Marriage. It also hinders the right to political participation, right to economic
benefits, right to climate justice or everywhere. This is because menstruators
are everywhere. Thus, menstrual discrimination is not only complex, multi-layered
but also GBV & violation of human right.
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Tackling the menstrual discrimination means having dialogue
around dignified menstruation. It is a tool for creating equal power relation
and smash the patriarchy at home, at school, at workplace and everywhere. Eventually,
it helps to achieve overarching goal of gender equality and human rights.
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Dignified menstruation is missing while working around
ending child marriage globally. In this era of 2030 agenda, `leave no one
behind’ where ending child marriage is a priority globally.
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Sadly, menstruation is dealing superficially where it
is attempted to fix symptomatically like giving paracetamol for fever. In other
hand, distributing free menstrual products or building toilets. Such
interventions are important elements for dignified menstruation but not guarantee
of menstruators. That is why the rate of child marriage remain same even after decades
of intervention around child marriage.
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Child marriage is an outcome of both systemic and
symptomatic impacts of menstrual discrimination which is missing since
beginning. The programs such as livelihood or incentives to parents, engaging
faith healers, police and legal authorities are important but they do not
address the underlying cause of child marriage. For ending child marriage, advancing
the self-image, self-confidence, self-determination since the age of 6-9 years
is very, very important. It is assumed that the girl who would have education on
menstrual dignity at home, she could say `no’ to her parents at first, she
would continuously say no for bad touch or can reject any unintended activities
including unsafe sex or marriage proposal.
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For decades, education for ending child marriage also
focuses on outcomes of child marriage like early child birth or poor health or
poverty.
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Indeed, this is high time to dig the root cause of
child marriage and address accordingly that is menstrual discrimination.
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I am feeling shame and sad while sharing that 28 girls
are getting married in every minute.
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On behalf of GSCDM, its partners, and supporters, I
shout out to re strategize the strategy for ending child marriage by incorporating
the dignified menstruation across all activities.
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Also urge the UN to endorse the 8th
December as international dignified menstruation day for not only ending child
marriage but also preventing all forms of GBV and promotion of human rights.
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Again, I would like to thank each of you, AHF family,
family of GSCDM, DMC Nepal and special thanks to Mogul Media, Deepak, Dr.
Sarath, Loretta, Jin, Sapna, Sudha, Lal, Dr. Shikshita and Dr. Samiksha for
their incredible contribution.
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Let’s unite, let’s create dignified menstruation at
home, school, community and everywhere for making this planet more equal, peaceful
and provide just to our children and grandchildren.
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By this note, I close this webinar and I am looking
forward to working with you all for dignified menstruation in forthcoming years
as well.
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Wishing you all a very happy international dignified
menstruation day.I thank you.
