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Namste, salam
alekam and greetings
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Thank you so
much for having me here to speak about the journey of mine `Pain to Power”.
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I am humbled and
honored.
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First and
foremost, on behalf of Global South Coalition for Dignified Menstruation, I
extend our huge congratulations to Entire team of Dastak Foundation, and Hira for
working around menstrual dignity.
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Honestly, I
called you all as hope and legacy of Dignified Menstruation' in Pakistan and
beyond.
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Now, I vividly
recall my childhood, about 40 years back from the rural, poor family setting in
central southern part of Nepal.
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At the age of 7,
I was shocked while I saw the blood on my mother’s leg. My mother described
that was impure, dirty menstrual blood.
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I also witnessed
sets of discriminatory menstrual practices like not allow to cook, not allow to
eat certain foods, not allow to participate in religious activities, men were
considered holy and they were loud, considered superior everywhere.
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Every day, I
felt suffocated. I did not like to live as girl child.
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I begged, cried
for stopping my menstruation or change my sex.
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My prayers were
not listened at all.
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Eventually, I
attempted suicide.
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But it was
failed attempt.
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I was living
with guilt, searching the best way for ending myself 24/7 hours.
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When I was 14, I
had first menstruation.
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Again, I ran
away from home for five days because I did not like to follow the menstrual
practices as my three sisters and mother followed.
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Next year, Coincidently, I joined nurse school
where I learned about menstrual blood and its role of it for my healthy life
and for this universe.
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Since then, I started to speak about menstrual
dignity wherever and whatever possible from my side.
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Unfortunately, people neither talk about
menstruation nor pay attention on my saying.
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They blamed me
as mad, bad character woman.
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I worked in many
human rights, women rights programs including women in peace and politics from
constitutional drafting process to village level interventions.
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I found that the
menstrual discrimination is not recognized as a serious form of violation of
human rights, form of sexual and gender based violence and agenda for feminism.
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As reproductive
health practitioner, I also see serious gap of menstrual dignity in a course of
SRHR.
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In other hand, I
constantly received the challenges from donors, governments, activist,
religious fundamentalists, even from media included exclusion, emotional and
physical assault, life killing threatens.
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Meanwhile donors
and academia are not acknowledging the urgency of menstrual dignity.
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Unfortunately,
the global menstrual movement focused on silos of hygiene or products or
infrastructures and imposed colonial principles.
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Let me give an
example, since 1880, the menstrual pad is introduced and menstrual pad is in
market since 1981.
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Today, the global
community have varieties of menstrual products. These menstrual products are
distributing at the name of period poverty where the menstrual discrimination
untouched
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And traditional
means of menstrual management displaced without exploration of its
significance.
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Indeed, all
around the globe, menstrual discrimination is universal with different names
and forms.
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GSCDM, defined
that the menstrual discrimination is ranges of practices includes silence, taboo, shyness, stigma, abuses,
restrictions, violence, deprivation from services and resources that associated
with menstruation throughout the life cycle of menstruators.
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The needs and
priorities of menstruators with disability, trans men, menstruators in
humanitarian settings and pandemics are still living in undignified conditions
due to menstrual discrimination.
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More
importantly, GSCDM challenged the notion of power relations, patriarchy and
challenged every actors who are working around SRHR, climate justice, rights of
children, women, sexual and gender minorities, menstruators with disability and
so on.
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Today, dignified
menstruation in to encyclopedia, journal articles, books, songs, arts, school
curriculum and so on.
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Making such
attempts are very tough from global south though the menstrual stories, and
struggles are making the way towards dignified menstruation as new theory.
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Very recently,
few, academia and donors started to listen about the urgency of menstrual
dignity.
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In Nepal, from
decades of activism under my leadership, national assembly, the supreme policy
structure, unanimously endorsed the resolution motion on dignified menstruation
on 21 march 2025 which is the great milestone of journey of dignified menstruation
in Nepal and all around the globe.
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Dignified
menstruation is a decolonized, holistic, life cycle and feminist approach to
redefine the journey of feminism, justice and human rights.
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Here, I gently
remind you all that the dignified menstruation is not about poverty, education
or religion.
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It is human
right approach where every menstruators deserve to live with dignity in this
planet.
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Let’s not
blaming to global north or global south, to rich or poor, let’s reflect on
menstrual discrimination, why and how we, global community missed and
sidelined.
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Let’s unite and
work together for making ourselves, our homes, schools, workplace, and
parliament and everywhere make dignified menstruation friendly.
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I take this opportunity to invite you all to
join the 7th international Dignified Menstruation Day and 3 days
international conference happening in Kathmandu Nepal.
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The details of
this conference is available in our website www.dignifiedmenstruation.org.
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See you there.
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Thank you so
much once again.
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Namaste.
