Despite Their Often Unbearable Pain, I Believe Periods Are Empowering!

Periods are one of the most liberating things women go through. Her periods signify the beginning of life and the existence of humanity.

What everyone around us knows about sanitary pads is that it is an object that a chemist wraps in a newspaper, puts that in a black bag before handing it to a girl. A person unaware of this phenomenon might call the police mistaking that to be a drug deal!

Further knowledge of sanitary pads (based on the advertisements on TV) is limited to an object used by women. It is an object that absorbs any amount of blue liquid poured on it because women obviously bleed blue, don’t we?

But they weren’t always considered impure

However, we have always been surrounded by taboos and myths that exclude menstruating women from many aspects of socio-cultural life. In India, the topic has been taboo to date.

Such taboos about menstruation in society impact the girls’ and women’s emotional state, mentality and lifestyle and most importantly, health. While there is taboo regarding this in society, certain texts that date back thousands of years, tell a completely different story.

In some cultures, a menstruating woman was considered sacred and powerful – which increased her psychic abilities. It was believed that she was strong enough to heal the sick. Some ancient cultures also believed that menstrual blood was a source of feminine strength and had the power to destroy enemies.

In Ancient Rome, it was believed that a menstruating woman who uncovered her body had a number of powers. She could scare away hailstorms, whirlwinds and lightning. Menstrual blood was viewed as especially dangerous to men’s power. In ancient Africa, menstrual blood was used in the most powerful magic charms as they believed it could both purify and destroy at once.

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Let’s find liberation in our period, shall we?

From the way I see it, periods are one of the most empowering and liberating things women go through. It signifies the beginning of life and the existence of humanity. I believe, it brings women in touch with their selves, bodies and spirits. A period is just another thing that represents feminine strength.

Choosing to differ from the society’s notions that claim her as dirty or impure, a bleeding woman, in my opinion, is a pious and holy woman. She is the epitome of the beauty of nature. The blood that is emitted every month is no ordinary blood. In fact, it has the power to bear a new human being, it has the potential to give birth to a new life.

So, a sanitary pad is no mere piece of ‘garment’ that is used by women on a regular basis. It is something close to women, that is with her at every stage of life and something that helps ease her suffering.

Ladies, don’t forget, your period blood is the only blood that is not a result of a traumatic experience. It signifies the birth of life rather than the end of it, so take pride in it. So, embrace your femininity and find liberation in your menstruation.

Picture credits: Still from Whisper’s #SitImproper campaign on YouTube

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