A participatory photography workshop aims to break the taboos surrounding menstruation with active participation of seven teenaged girls who click pictures of how they are treated during their periods and what they wish would change Kathmandu April — I was ready for a Participatory Photography Project led by WaterAid Nepal on Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) in Sirthauli, Sindhuli. We were in Duda for a month teaching seven young girls — Rabina, Bisestha, Sabina, Manisha, Bandhana, Rita and Sushma — about photography and menstrual hygiene. The idea was to see how they felt during their periods and what they would capture to reflect it in the photographs. Holding camera for first time When we handed cameras to the seven teenagers, it was the first time they had held a camera and the excitement was priceless. Each was inquisitive, some getting restless to switch their camera on, some asked about what the little drawings on the camera options meant. They asked about display, how to insert memory cards, batteries and every possible question. At the same time they were excited about having their own camera and that they were going to document their issues and experiences related to menstrual taboos through pictures. Handing them cameras was an effort to break down the stigma that is attached with the idea of ‘bleeding’ and to explore the potential of girls in documenting their own lives. Photography and menstrual hygiene management As we encouraged these young girls to capture moments of their lives, we familiarised them with the various technical sides of the camera along with the knowledge of menstrual hygiene management. Within a week of mentoring, they learned to photograph in various shots, sizes and with proper lighting. Similarly, awareness classes on menstrual hygiene helped them talk about issues related to menstruation. Issues explored Being brought up in a typical Hindu household, I have a list of do’s and don’ts during periods, but the issues these girls brought up was more crucial than mine. Some of the girls had spent 22 days during their first menstruation in someone else’s home far from their families. During their first menstruation, they were not allowed to read or write as they were considered ‘impure’. They were also not allowed to face the sun or even go outside in the daytime. They had to wash, bathe and complete every chore before sunrise. They are still not allowed to drink cow’s milk, eat fruits like mango, litchi and papaya during their periods. They are not allowed to enter the vegetable garden or touch any vegetable. They do not touch male members of the family and eat at distance. Their issues are not just limited to their homes. These girls face various problems when schools fail to provide even a simple range of latrine services. When I said that menstruation is something we as girls should celebrate as it reflects our womanhood, the responses I received were not very positive. “What is the use of womanhood when there are so many restrictions around us?” Manisha questioned me. “I would have enjoyed more had I been a boy,” Rabina added. They said they felt very hated when they were kept at distance and separately during dinner time. “I don’t even feel like a human during that time with all the ‘don’t come here! And don’t touch me’ statements. I feel furious and angry,” Bisestha added. For four days every month, they all felt discarded, discriminated and separated from their families. The psychological emotions these teenagers feel is outrage on the inside, but submissive on the outside because the reason is that they cannot rebel on matters that have been there since centuries and it is something that holds them and their families together. I realised then that we live in a society where girls feel caged in their own homes. Compromise on hygiene There were many limitations apart from being ‘just rituals’ and these posed a greater hazard as it involved the individual’s health and hygiene. These girls were not allowed to wash used cloths publicly. Moreover, they would never dare to dry them out in the sun. All because having periods, washing used cloths and drying them out in the sun were all about shame! And the girls did not do anything that would drag them into that shame. As a result, they washed their menstrual cloths in streams, rivers and corners of pond where nobody came. Usually such areas would not be clean as people hardly used them. As drying the menstrual cloths in the sun is a big deal, the girls dried those in shady areas that were not frequented by people. And how safe and hygienic can schools be when a monthly cycle compels these very girls to miss out on their lessons? One of the participants, Sushma focused all her stories and photographs highlighting the issues related to school. Her photographs repeatedly questioned the status quo of school toilets and the hazards associated with the health and hygiene of students. This particularly led to questions about hygiene in the context of schools. So, why do these girls not attend school during menstruation? It is because of unhygienic latrines, latrines without locks, latrines with no water, and latrines without facility for safe disposal of used pads. In such a scenario, one is not motivated to attend school. Transition of empowerment After a month of intense work, all of us (especially the girls) decided to hold an exhibition in the community level. The final exhibition showcased 35 pictures out of 6,000 that reflected the girls’ emotions during menstruation, their desire to read and write when they got their first period, their quest for awareness, the kind of pads they use, where they wash the pads. Their photo captions explained how they want to enter the kitchen and touch everything and not get scolded, how they want improved toilet services at school and how they secretly touched the pickles, which didn’t rot and provided evidence that all this is nothing but superstition that we’ve been blindly following. The photographs had the personal, private and social indications of change coming out of seven different individuals at once. I remembered the very first day we tried to talk about their first menstrual experience and how they were not comfortable. They were very shy and hesitant to talk about menstruation in particular. However, by the end of it, they were very confident about the pictures they had clicked, they were not shy about showcasing their personal pictures (pictures of them washing or ironing their pads). Education for awareness As we assessed the changes, we realised an innovative way of outweighing one’s thought process can be achieved through education. For this particular project, the medium we chose was to educate through photography. How photography impacted their thought process was more visible if you compared it with regular classroom learning session. Hence, we need more innovative and creative ideas to educate young generations. To talk about such a feminine issue was made more relatable with photography in this context. More than ‘just a day’ is knowledge The World Menstrual Hygiene Day is marked on May 28 and many campaigns and initiatives are being carried on around the globe to promote safe and hygienic practices during menstruation. What is super important is to equally disseminate knowledge regarding menstrual hygiene among males and females. It is also very important for every family to liberate their daughters first and to let them know that menstruation is something they should be proud of. It is also important for all of us to know that bleeding is just as normal as having any other bodily changes during puberty. A liberal mindset starts from the ability to absorb positivity from small efforts and steps. These changes can have greater impacts once girls start to feel that they are not being restricted just because they bleed.