Dr Radha Paudel is a nurse, activist, author, and poet, as well as the founder and director of the Radha Paudel Foundation. She received the Madan Puraskar, Nepal's highest literary award, for her memoir Khalangama Hamala. She has worked extensively to combat menstrual taboos at the grassroots and global levels through her 'dignified menstruation' initiative. On March 21, the Upper House unanimously passed a resolution motion in support of dignified menstruation. Moreover, to address multi-faceted menstrual discrimination and bring global awareness, International Dignified Menstruation Day is observed on December 8 annually. Bal Krishna Sah of The Himalayan Times sat with Dr Paudel to discuss dignified menstruation, menstrual discrimination and human rights. Excerpts:
THT: WHAT IS DIGNIFIED MENSTRUATION AND WHY IS IT CRUCIAL FOR SOCIETY?
Radha: Dignified menstruation is an innovative, decolonised, holistic, human rights-based life cycle approach. In the context of human rights, feminism, and development discourse, innovative approaches are employed. Menstrual discrimination is extremely complex and multifaceted; it is practiced all over the world, regardless of where we are from, and because it is so complex and multifaceted, we need a comprehensive approach to address all forms of bias. It is not simply about how the menstrual pad is distributed, the anatomy and physiology of the reproductive organs, or how the menstrual product is disposed of. It aims to eliminate all forms of menstrual discrimination based on food, touch, mobility, sight, and language, as well as waste initiatives, menstrual products, and environmental concerns.
Menstruators are everywhere, and they face a variety of menstrual discrimination. As a result, we must address dignified menstruation as a cross-cutting issue. That's why it's so comprehensive and crosscutting. It all boils down to investigating menstrual practices and confronting menstrual discrimination through the lens of women's rights. We are all aware that the fundamental principles of women's rights are liberty, the right to be free, equality, nondiscrimination, and dignity. However, these fundamental human rights are consistently violated.
This is a human rights-based approach. When it comes to a life cycle approach, we must recognise the impact of menstrual discrimination. Menstrual discrimination begins early in life, between the ages of six and nine, and continues in a spiral pattern throughout the life cycle. Menstruators face increased discrimination and violence, including sexual and gender-based violence, as well as deprivation of political and property rights.
Menstrual discrimination is associated with all forms of discrimination and violence because it fosters power and patriarchy. That is why we must look beyond the five days of bleeding. If you focus solely on the five days of bleeding, you will only deal with management. It is a symptomatic treatment, but when viewed through the lens of women's rights and the role of menstrual discrimination in power construction and patriarchy, it encompasses the entire life cycle.
We need to discuss why I have short hair and why people continue to challenge or criticise my hairstyle. It is due to patriarchy and its construction and reinforcement, which is exacerbated by menstrual discrimination because she menstruates, has a uterus, and is inferior; she cannot do what she wants. So this is how society operates. As a result, menstrual discrimination shapes and institutionalises the entire patriarchal and power dynamic.
THT: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HAPPY AND SAD MOMENTS YOU HAVE ENCOUNTERED OR EXPERIENCED ADVOCATING FOR IT?
Radha: There are many happy moments, and there are many sad moments. On March 21, the National Assembly endorsed the resolution motion on dignified menstruation. Unanimously, this is the kind of highest achievement in a course of dignified menstruation or struggle of dignified administration in my life.
There are so many saddest parts, but the INGOs here in Nepal, those who knew about the grassroots reality, I mean our reality, our reality on menstrual discrimination. They are very clear and aware and witness the menstrual discriminatory practices in Kathmandu, in Madhes, in Koshi province, and across the country. They are aware, but they don't like to work on dignified menstruation because they think this is my agenda, and they excluded me deliberately on many national and international platforms, which is a very sad part. There are INGOs; they removed my name just 24 hours from the panels. I faced this situation in March, where donors intervened themselves to remove my name just a few minutes before the panel.
If they are really here to contribute to or uplift the Nepali community, they have to address menstrual discrimination without hesitation because menstrual discrimination is sexual and gender-based violence. Menstrual discrimination is a violation of human rights. Menstrual discrimination is an underlying cause for the other forms of sexual and gender-based violence, like child marriage and rape, so if the NGOs and UN are really to uplift our people, they need to listen to the survivors' voices. They have to amplify that kind of story. There are INGOs (let's not disclose the name) that even copied from our book without the reference and consultation. While this is a happy and proud moment for us that they copied. But at what cost? And without consultation and giving us credit for work? Later, we filed a case to resolve it. They apologised by putting the announcement in English and Nepali in the Kathmandu Post and Kantipur two years ago. Even though they are not really aligned, they are not really respecting the notion of dignified menstruation.
THT: HOW HAVE YOU FOUND THE GOVERNMENT'S REACTIONS AND RESPONSES TO THE DIGNIFIED MENSTRUATION INITIATIVE?
Radha: It is dependent on the leadership, or who leads the government. For example, the Ministry of Women bears greater responsibility because it cares for children, adolescents, girls, women, LGBTIQA+, people with disabilities, and the elderly. This means that the Ministry of Women is responsible for the majority of advocacy efforts. The Ministry of Education is in charge of education, which includes school and university, as well as medicine, nursing, and public health. Health-related issues, discrimination, to the ministerial level and the minister of health, and the WASH initiatives infrastructure types of things that must be addressed by the Ministry of Water Supply, and Sanitation. So, when considering the role of the ministries, the women's ministry has more responsibility, but it is doing it proactively. For example, the National Children's Council, child clubs, and many other child rights institutions have been working for child rights. However, none of the child rights activities, policies, or strategies recognise menstrual discrimination or incorporate dignified menstruation.
They do not recognise menstrual discrimination as a problem, nor do they see the dignified menstrual as a strategy or solution. This is the biggest oversight on each level. They learn menstrual discriminatory practices over a period of six to nine years, after which menstruators consider themselves impure, powerless, inferior, and disadvantaged. In the meantime, non-menstruators regard themselves as powerful, superior, and entitled.
This is how unsafe the home is. In the early years, non-menstruators started to convert as perpetrators and criminals because they started to abuse menstruators by not helping the female members of the family in household chores and not sharing the work. Such things prevailed and menstruators eventually became victims making the home unsafe place. Non-menstruating family members commit various forms of gender-based violence at home. We are not disconnecting or dismantling the cycle of power and patriarchy that begins at home and is then fuelled or facilitated by discrimination. There are numerous organisations working under the Ministry of Women's leadership, but they fail to recognise that menstrual discrimination is a problem. Gender inequality does not address menstrual discrimination.
Menstrual discrimination is extremely complex. Gender inequality has existed throughout history, not only in this country but around the world, and it does not recognise menstrual discrimination at the grassroots level. This is how we should address menstrual discrimination and gender inequality in the challenge. This is how we should talk about dignified menstruation and gender equality in the course of finding a solution or strategy. So, the Ministry of Women does not really acknowledge such aspects.
There are many activities taking place in the name of empowering girls, but menstrual discrimination is absent from the conversation. The next issue is women's rights. Women's rights legislation, such as the Domestic Violence Act, does not acknowledge menstrual discrimination. The Ministry of Women must organise an intensive programme to engage all segments of the population, including women, politicians, and journalists, because ministerial discourse is critical. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Women's joint secretary and another representative, the National Women's Rights Commissioner, were reiterating Chhaupadi and describing it as discrimination against people living in West Nepal. Actually, menstrual discrimination occurs throughout the country, and Chhaupadi refers to menstruation rather than discrimination. Chhaupadi is a local word of the far-western that refers to menstruation. It's another euphemism that you say. We call it a euphemism, but the locals simply call it menstruation. Even though it is not a euphemism, it only refers to menstruation. So the government itself, as well as those representing Nepal at the UN, are establishing these kinds of narratives, and this is how the global community misuses, misinterprets, and misleads the campaign.
THT: WHY IS MENSTRUATION A VERY LESS DISCUSSED TOPIC IN OUR SOCIETY?
Radha: About 93 per cent of sexual and gender-based violence takes place at home. This is very true. Menstruation is known to have existed for over 3 million years. Menstruation exists in the universe. Menstruation is said to have existed for more than 3 million years, according to literature from human civilisation. It is a common natural occurrence among 1.6 per cent of mammals.
And when we began to discuss human civilisation, as we did with Plato and Aristotle, they never spoke about it or prioritised it. Aristotle and the other philosophers agreed that this is a nasty thing. Because they saw the blood due to a lack of materials for management of the blood, they described something nasty, and if you go through the nasty things, it started as a little bit of a bad idea, and then during the mediaeval time it was defined as a toxic poison. And during the late 1930s, the function of the ovary began to be discussed.
Nobody had previously mentioned it. So, scientists looked at the brain, the kidney, the bone, and everything. The uterus and ovary received the lowest priority. So, this is how it does not even appear in science. Furthermore, Karl Marx ignored the issue and only addressed it as a class struggle. Even the philosophers were terrified but they simply ignored it, which is a natural process except in exceptional medical cases. Subsequently, it is marginalised in political and feminist discourses because no one likes to discuss it.
Even feminists discuss other topics, such as safe abortion rights and family planning. Since 1973, there has been a movement in the United States to protect our bodies and rights. But they don't talk about menstruation. They discuss childbirth, but it cannot occur without menstruation. So, childbirth is still optional, correct? However, menstruation is absolutely necessary and natural.
However, that component is absent in all discourse, including social, political, and economic discourse. It's considered a private matter. It is regarded as a women's issue. Women have long been considered inferior, powerless, and disadvantaged. Let us take an example from when women's civilisation began. I'm the woman, and you're the man, and when you see the blood, you get scared and ignore it, and after a few days, I was fine, and no one talked about it. So it has become a woman's issue, a private issue, an ignored issue, and this is how it has been civilised. And then the entire medical business, with the exception of medicine, began to talk more about the business perspective. This is a business. They don't talk about pregnancy before it happens. Menstruation is present, and we need to know what kind of practices they've been doing and whether they're good or bad for their health, justifiable or not, and in line with human rights. That part, however, is missing. So, even in medicine, they look at it from a business and medical standpoint, because medicine is inextricably linked to the corporate world. The pad, the tampon, the tampon tax-everything related to the business. Distributing pads from the United Kingdom to Africa or Asia while ignoring menstrual hygiene practices.
THT: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TABOOS RELATED TO MENSTRUATION IN NEPAL AND GLOBALLY?
Radha: There are both visible and invisible taboos, and they are widely observed around the world. However, the underlying notion remains the same-menstrual blood is impure, dirty, and weak. Thus, we must determine from the bottom line whether the menstruator is separated in a room, cornered in a rented room, or isolated. However, they follow dozens of other restrictions, including not participating in religious or cultural activities, not cooking, not touching any male members, and not touching flowers, plants, or fruits. These are widespread practices, including in Sri Lanka and Ghana. In Ghana, menstruators are not permitted to cross water sources.
Similarly, in developed countries, menstruation is not openly discussed and is subject to various religious and cultural restrictions. Unsurprisingly, all major religions regard menstruation as impure and prohibit menstruators from taking the lead or participating in important functions. For example, there has always been a male 'Lama' in Buddhism. Menstruators are forbidden from touching the 'Quran.' The same is true for Christianity and Hinduism. Last year, I visited Nigeria, a country that is half Christian and half Muslim. More than 60 per cent of Nigerians consider menstruation to be impure blood.
THT: WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SUGGESTIONS TO TACKLE THEM?
Radha: It should go from the UN to the grassroots, and vice versa. For example, in Nepal, three levels of government must prioritise dignified menstruation through budget allocation and programme implementation. It should put the resolution motion into action by creating policies with adequate funding across 25 ministries. INGOS and the UN are here to support the government and the people. Hence, they should be willing to change the narrative rather than imposing their own ideas. They must represent our people and address our concerns. The UN must work at the grassroots level, representing the people. The media should play a critical role as watchdogs, whether the government and other actors are working to implement it or not. They have to question vitriolically.
THT: HOW DO MENSTRUAL TABOOS HARM HUMAN AND CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS?
Radha: The constitution's preamble promotes nondiscrimination practices, which are later promoted through fundamental rights. However, more than two dozen fundamental rights are violated. For example, preventing a girl from sleeping on the same bed during menstruation violates her right to dignity, freedom, nondiscrimination, education, equality, shelter, and food. Single discriminatory practices during menstruation violate over two dozen of her rights globally, not just in Nepal. In addition, Nepal has signed more than a dozen human rights instruments. This is how it infringes upon human and constitutional rights. Meanwhile, we are commemorating the 7th Dignified Menstruation Day with a global conference.
