Ahead of Padman's release, six women come together to discuss menstruation

Renuka KunchikurveThis writer remembers her first period It was 1998 she was 15 and it was the fifth class of the day Her best friend at the time a boy accompanied her to the nurses room where she was given a sanitary pad She came out he gave her a hug and all was well This feelgood anecdote will find favour in most privileged homes where how I got my first period stories are told But thats not everyones reality As Akshay Kumars Padman a film that tells the tale of Arunachalam Muruganantham a Tamil Nadubased activist who revolutionised menstrual hygiene readies for release next month we wondered if the conversation about the normalisation of menstruation has changed perceptionsWe got together six articulate women to chat over at the midday office and heres what they had to say about perception Vs change men and their reactions social media and why PMS is not a fourday but 30day problemHarnidh KaurWhere we currently stand Harnidh Most women in India dont use pads They still use cloth stuffed with ash or saw dustMedhavinee In Rajasthan they use sand Basically anything that absorbsHarnidh They cant wash these rags in their homes or at communal taps since its considered impure So they wash the cloth in dirty water unfiltered A lot of women carry infections derived from fecal matter and fungal infections because heavy cloth doesnt dry easilyMedhavinee Pads are not used because in India there is no privacy Where do you wear it where do you throw itKavita Most people on the field in the slums say they dont want to talk about it Its dirty They say if you discuss the issue we will stop you from coming into our neighbourhood If you ask the women what do you do when you get your period they say we sit quietly And when their husbands get to know they are told to sleep separately Young girls are told to never mention it especially in front of their fathers They cant touch an idol or sit in for ceremonies What has changed though is that mothers and daughters are talkingSheetal The movie might just become a conversation starter In India what we need to battle first is lack of hygiene We need to push the pad just so that we can avoid infection and aspire to good womens healthRenuka After seeing the Padman trailer my husband mdash after 15 years of marriage mdash asked me does it pain that much I am menstruating today and its the first time I have ever tried wearing a pad My 13yearold daughter gave it to me I am used to the bulkier cloth so I have been wondering kahan hai yeh pad I can barely feel itPriyanka PaulYoure so moody today are you on your periodHarnidh When someone asks me that I say yes Kya kar loge I am in pain why should I apologise for it I talk about it with my male friends because you need to normalise the conversation Education begins with one person But I think women deny that they are moody or uncomfortable They shouldnt To say aurat ho toh saho is wrong Dont be a sansheelta ki murtiPriyanka Advertisements for sanitary pads are atrocious mdash a woman in white pants is shown jumping It says you can do anything you are a warrior Every woman has a different period It the ads doesnt normalise anything My mother used to have crazy periods She eventually turned to a pill to ease the pain and flow but it led to a blood clot that left her paralysedMedhavinee Women need to decide what is normal for them One of the most common question we get about these ads is mdash why is the blood shown blue A womans role is to procreate When she is not carrying a child she is menstruating deviating from her role And thats not acceptableMedhavinee NamjoshiAvailability of tools of menstrual hygieneMedhavinee We must look at a majority of women who live in slums They cant discuss this with their fathers How will they approach a male stranger at a chemist to buy a pad Asking for a pad is the toughest part A male salesman will wrap it in a brown paper seal it in a plastic bag and hand it to you Availability and accessibility in this case are not the same thingSheetal SabharwalSocial media and reactionsPriyanka Reactions to my menstruation art series which was about normalising the period were shocking Women from privileged homes said during their period their mothers ask them to sit in a separate room and eat from a different plate My grandmother asked my father Why is Priyanka talking about these thingsKavita PardesiThe way ahead Menstrual cupsSheetal Cups are gaining popularity especially among young women But the device needs constant emptying and cleaningMadhivinee This debate is related to virginity How can a woman of morals insert anything into her vagina Most Indian women dont know their bodies They think urine babies blood and stools come from the same place So first we educate them about their bodies India lacks clean toilets How is a girl going to wash anything let alone a cup when people are lined up outside waiting for their turnThe last wordMadhivinee The goal should be to make the period commonplace You breathe in breathe out You eat today you crap the next morning Here the body cleanses and you menstruate We must talk to men about it Men have nocturnal emissions we have the period Normal SimpleCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news current affairs from Mumbai local news crime news and breaking headlines hereDownload the new midday Android and iOS apps to get updates on all the latest and trending stories on the go