Closing Remarks on 4th International Dignified Menstruation Day 2022

 

·      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,

·      Namaste, Salam Alekam, good morning, good afternoon and good evening!

·      All protocol observed.

·      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.

·      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.

·      Today, friends from over 56 countries are celebrating this auspicious moment `4<sup>th</sup> international dignified menstruation day with the theme of `dignified menstruation for ending child marriage’ by organizing various activities.’

·      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.

·      Likewise, steering committee member from Malawi, North America and other partners have been leading the regions and countries accordingly.

·      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.

·      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.

·      A big applaud to them.    

·      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.

·      Often, we are receiving comments, questions about why are we marking the dignified menstruation day for 8^th December. Let me remind you briefly; 8th December is the 14^th 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.

·      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.

·      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.

·      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.

·      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.

·      For decades, education for ending child marriage also focuses on outcomes of child marriage like early child birth or poor health or poverty.

·      Indeed, this is high time to dig the root cause of child marriage and address accordingly that is menstrual discrimination.

·      I am feeling shame and sad while sharing that 28 girls are getting married in every minute.

·      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.

·      Also urge the UN to endorse the 8^th December as international dignified menstruation day for not only ending child marriage but also preventing all forms of GBV and promotion of human rights.

·      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.

·      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.

·      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.

·      Wishing you all a very happy international dignified menstruation day.I thank you.