"Dignity over basic necessity"
After a one-month festive vacation, I'm taking a bus to Kathmandu. I was a little bummed that I couldn't celebrate Dashain, as I got period, which had been anticipated for a year, but happily, I could celebrate Tihar. Let’s say skipping all those days and money to go to the town to celebrate just a festival was only halfway successful.
Alas! I got my period yesterday. I must get to work tomorrow, so this travel is necessary. It's pretty terrifying to ride the bus for such a long distance during that time. The daily stress of uncomfortable travel is increased by hormone changes, worry, irritability, cramps, and everything else.
After a while, the bus stopped the bus for a pee break. Unfortunately, a woman's body isn't as liberated as a man's, isn't it? I also needed to urinate. It took some time for me to find a location that respects my privacy. Additionally, I had my period, so I had to maintain extra precautions. The bus made a brunch stop en route. I went straight outside to the bathroom. The toilet and the bad odor overwhelmed me when I entered the bathroom. Apart from my hormonal swings, the situation made me queasy: no mirror to view the stains in the pants; open defecation away from the toilet pan; carelessly flowing water; pad, and other plastics being thrown.
The pad was already covered in blood, so I had no choice but to use the same bathroom. I got outside to buy a sanitary pad, but it was expensive. I prefer sanitary pads over clothes, but I find it very difficult to purchase them monthly because I am an unemployed class nine student. All of my pocket money is spent here, and since my father manages my finances, asking him for money is quite challenging. I quickly changed into the bathroom and left. I discovered after changing that it lacked a trash can and that I needed more plastic or paper supplies to cover the pad. Despite being informed and made aware of the environmental damage these pads do, I was forced to toss them in a wall hole that may potentially drop them into a grazing area. I had to wash my hands in the crowd that came to wash their hands eating the Daal Bhaat because the wash basin inside the toilet wasn't working. The bus was about to depart when the driver made a motion after some time.
Many ideas ran through my head. How many girls ride buses every day? How many girls go through periods every day? How much do people endure physical situations beyond their control simply because the infrastructures aren't in place? How do they protect their dignity and privacy? How do they manage the overwhelming urge to nature's call? Forget the teahouses; haven't the educational institutions given any thought to menstrual hygiene-friendly infrastructure? These adolescent girls must view their fundamental access to menstrual health-friendly infrastructure as a privilege or a luxury. They must miss class because the clothes might get dirty, depriving her of education for, on average, two years of her life. Everywhere I went, I skipped class for a half-month following my menarche.
Even now, I am too nervous and cautious about addressing any menstruation-related issues with a doctor. This is due to my natural shyness and the stigma that society has added to discussing "menstruation" openly.
Why does the government never consider how crucial period-friendly restrooms are for the bleeders who make up half of the world's population? Why don't political agendas and freshly constructed infrastructures discuss period poverty and menstruation health-friendly infrastructure? What about the people with disability-friendly infrastructures?
I still feel hungry for not having enough time to eat after all the stress that I went through. However today, I realized that even a basic human necessity like food pales compared to my right to dignity, privacy, health, and bodily needs. I sometimes worry how people in natural disasters, wars, or national emergencies would maintain their bodily dignity while the crisis isn't intelligent enough to comprehend this since even aware people in regular situations are unable to fulfill a menstrual woman's right.