"The journey for Leela wasn't easy. "
In an antique village settled between folds of hills and mountains, lived a young girl named Leela. Her days were filled with laughter and curiosities, but as she grew older, an ever-roaming cloud of secrecy associated with menstruation wrapped her life. Leela's grandmother passed a deep-rooted belief that menstruation was impure, a belief that existed throughout the village where no people ever wanted or even tried to find out why. This belief and no willingness to question the rooted trends had shaped and connected the chains of menstrual stigma that bound every woman in the village.
One day, Leela tripped over a newspaper in the village’s shop where she visited to buy some groceries that drafted a heart-wrenching story of a young girl being attacked and raped while she was being kept away from her home, in a small hut (Goth) during her menstruation. This created a wave of emotions inside Leela. She turned the page of every newspaper to bump into the writing that spoke of empowerment, equality, and the rights of women. Leela, being a curious soul, wanted to learn and explore more about the matter. The topic and every word of it sparked a fire within her. She decided to walk on a journey to challenge the stigma surrounding menstruation. She even joined the forces with young girls and women of different places, and local health workers to provide access to affordable menstrual products. As talks of Leela's movement spread, neighboring villages took notice and they, too, began to question the stigma that held them confined. Leela's village became an example of change, inspiring others to break free from the cycle of silence.
Leela began the journey by engaging her closest friends in conversations about menstruation. They started searching for different aspects that affected menstruation and worked in favor of stigmas. They shared stories, laughed, and debunked myths. Slowly, the walls of silence started to smash. Inspired and enthusiastic, Leela and her friends organized a gathering for other young girls and women of the village where they spoke passionately, urging every other young girl to embrace and love their bodies, and fight against myths that kept them in shadow for generations.
The journey for Leela wasn't easy. She encountered various obstacles and hardships, such as girls resisting to engage in discussions regarding menstruation or even question the harmful practices that existed. Additionally, she faced opposition from individuals who adhered to detrimental customs and traditions, clung to outdated and unfounded beliefs. Surprisingly, even her own mother and grandmother posed challenges not letting her conduct or be involved in advocacy and awareness campaigns. As she led the movement, she even endured being boycotted by the societal standards due to addressing a topic considered disgraceful. Yet, she persisted to become the voice against stigmas and norms that kept women in the shadow of misconceptions. With the enormous support through friends and a growing number of voices, Leela began conducting workshops on menstrual health, hygiene, and debunking myths.
One day, a renowned journalist visited the village to document the transformation which helped Leela's story to reach a wider audience, and soon, the movement gained national attention. Even government took notice of it and began implementing menstrual hygiene education in schools, breaking the foundation of stigma initiating from a young age. Years later, Leela stood before international audience, sharing her inspiring journey on breaking the silence regarding menstrual practices and stigmas that seated deeply in the society. The applause and appreciation that followed was not just for her, but for the countless efforts every girl and woman who stood with her in eroding the basis of harmful norms and shattering the chains of menstrual stigma. Leela's village became a symbol of hope, proving that the power of knowledge, unity, and determination could break the strongest of taboos that was engraved for generations.
As time went by, the village became a center of empowerment. The journey that Leela embarked and the whispers of change which Leela’s journey brought, became a resounding anthem, not just in the workshops and initiatives she had started, but in all those girls and women who now walked proudly, unburdened by the weight of stigma. The cycle of silence had been broken, and a new era had dawned, where menstrual health was no longer remained a whispered secret, but a collective urge for change, progress, and to achieve equality.
