Archana Nepal
I was walking down the street today and saw a girl walking slowly and keeping her bag at the back, which could completely cover her skirt. I could notice the people beside her smiling. She looked sad and ashamed. When she passed by me, I couldn’t stop myself from looking at what she was hiding. And the second I saw her skirt, I knew she got her period. I called her and tried to comfort her that it was completely normal. She was still shy, so I took her to the shop and bought a packet of pads. Fortunately, she had a set of extra clothes. We went to a public washroom to change pad. Now, I could see that she was relieved. I dropped her off at school and also spoke with her teacher about it.
When I returned after dropping her, I realized that there are hundreds of educated illiterates. People were laughing at her instead of helping her out. She was just 12 or 13 years old. Maybe she had her period started a few months back, but it is very difficult to know about the date and manage the period that easily. Even a well-grown woman can forget her period. Not only the young girls but every woman should have a track of their period.
To track your period, there are a lot of online and offline ways. When it’s about the young girls, their parents should take extra care of them. There are a lot of websites and apps to track the period cycle. Maybe these things won’t show the exact time, but they can keep you alert. Also, as a parent, you must remember to keep a set of underwear and a pad in your daughter’s bag so that it will be easier to go through this phase. Though there are ways parents and even a lot of literate people are still unaware of it.
Additionally, a girl must be trained to take care of herself during her period. If she is well-prepared for her period, then she will never face any kind of bullying or shameful situation. Although getting a period is not shameful, I believe it will take time for people to recognize that it is natural and completely normal. We can imagine how difficult it is for teenagers to care for themselves during their period, so she must have training, skills, knowledge, and confidence to cope with this.
We think that this is a very small thing, but getting bullied or not knowing how to take care of oneself during menstruation can have a long-lasting impact on a person’s development, or we can say it can be a harsh thing that can hamper one’s physical and mental health. I believe that to give a healthy future to a girl, firstly her teachers and parents should teach her the ways to track her period and how she can take care of herself during these days. Not only girls but people should understand that boys are also required to have knowledge regarding menstruation. Only then is it possible to bring change.
If educated people are unaware about menstruation and related things, then what can we expect from others? Every school and every home should discuss this topic openly. Each and every person should be aware of it. If i’ll give my own example, my small brother is well aware about menstruation. He is never shy to buy me pads and comfort me during my cramps. This is just an example but it is possible to make everyone aware about it if we try. So, don’t be educated but unaware, try to learn about it and know the difference you can make.