Understanding the period experience in a cultural context.
āMenstruation is the only blood that is not born from violence, yet itās the one that disgusts you the mostā ā From aĀ signĀ posted at the Womenās Day protest march
For reasons beyond my understanding, nearly every culture seems to have a problem with periods. In many countries, this sign of a healthy cycle is considered āuncleanā, and women are being ostracised for going through it.
Ā
In the West, this presents itself in an almost clinical approach to this very natural experience. We have all seen the āblue liquidā ads, with their beautiful clean sheets, light summer dresses and big white smiles.
In other places, itās not unheard of for women to beĀ isolatedĀ from their community during five to ten days out of a month. They have to sleep outside, in ādog housesā. I canāt even begin to imagine what that does to a personās psyche, let alone their confidence in their own bodyā¦
Ā
To understand the period experience of girls in Western Kenya in a cultural context, we visited a few schools in rural Kisumu. The girls there were quite open and willing to share their stories, partly thanks to the work of the Golden Girls Foundation in breaking the taboo of talking about the menses. Here are a few insights into what living with their menstruation is like for Kenyan school girls:
Some learn about periods from their families, some in school
āI remember I saw my sister had a stain on her back. I asked what happened to her. My mother took the time and explained to me that every woman reaches a point where she must start experiencing the menses. She also told me about the tools, like pads. And that if you donāt have pads, you can use a rag, wash it clean and dry it. Then you fold it and use it.ā
āI learned it from my science teacher when he was teaching reproduction in class six.ā
āI saw my aunt put on a white trouser, the blood was running down her leg. My aunt went to the bathroom, I followed her and asked her about it, but she didnāt answer my questions. I was afraid for her; I didnāt know what disease she had. I really wanted to cry, because I loved my aunt. I went to my mother: āMum, my aunt is sick!ā My mother explained to me it was just a stage that I was also going to pass.ā
Others have never even heard about periods when they first have them
āYou know, sitting down with your guardian or your mum is very difficult.ā
āI asked my sister about her pads: āWhat are these now? And what are they meant for?ā She was always laughing at me. āOne day, youāll also reach that stage.āā
āWhen it happened, I was in class six. I was shaking, I wanted to go to the hospital. I took a sweater and tied it around my waist. I asked for permission and I went back home. I shared it with my grandma, she just laughed at me, and I was crying, freaking out. I asked her to give me one hundred shillings so I could go to the hospital. She told me to just be patient, maybe after three, four days it would be over. And now it would every month. I got so scared.ā
There are a lot of myths around periods and Ruby Cups
āSome parents have not even gone to school. They think Ruby Cup is made from plastic, and that you shouldnāt put it in your body.ā
āMy aunt told me that Ruby Cup can cause cancer. Even my sister, whoās a nurse, told me it can cause diseases.ā
āI heard that if you put it in, the vagina will expand.ā
Sometimes, they canāt afford hygiene products and have to get creative.
āI used to use two packs of sanitary pads per month. That is a lot of money.ā
āSometimes the parents canāt afford hygiene products, so the girls find boyfriends who will buy them sanitary products in exchange for sex.ā
āBefore we tried Ruby Cup, it was a bit expensive. We would use blankets, towels, mattress filling, tissuesā¦ Some months, youāre broke and your mother is not around. So you work with what youāve got.ā
Ruby Cup takes a little getting used to but makes their life so much easier.
āWhen I showed the cup to the neighborhood girls, they said āYou are going to put that thing inside you? I canāt use that!āā
āMy aunt wanted to take mine, but I didnāt give it to her.ā
āWhen you use it for the first time, you somehow feel very guilty. You think thereās something inside you, and what if it drops? Like in a crowd? But that was just because I wasnāt used to it.ā
āThe sanitary pads felt itchy. I couldnāt swim, I couldnāt do sports. And I had to change them so much. Now I can do everything.ā
āSometimes youād have to go home and take a bath. Now people donāt stain themselves anymore.ā
These quotes were recorded during interviews at Joyland Mixed Special Needs Secondary School, Ayweyo Secondary School, Pawtenge Secondary School, and St. Peterās Nanga Secondary School in Masogo, Kenya.
_____________________________
Ruth Asan (28) is a writer and political communication consultant from Germany. She has worked and studied in Berlin, Spain and Kenya. Most recently, she became co-founder of the Savara Womenās Advancement Program (SaWA), a training and mentorship program for young women from Nairobi.