A taboo-free way to talk about periods | Aditi Gupta

Translator: Wink Wong Reviewer: Yolanda Wei

Periods.

經期

Blood.

血

Menstruation.

月經

Gross.

核突

Secret.

秘密

Hidden.

遮遮掩掩

Why?

點解？

A natural biological process

呢個係每個女仔同女人

that every girl and woman goes through every month

半世人每個月都會經歷嘅 自然生理過程

for about half of her life.

A phenomenon that is so significant

呢個現象好緊要

that the survival and propagation of our species depends on it.

因為關乎人類生存同繁殖後代

Yet we consider it a taboo.

但是我哋覺得呢啲係禁忌

We feel awkward and shameful talking about it.

講呢樣嗰時又尷尬又覺得羞恥

When I got my first periods,

當我嚟咗第一次經期時

I was told to keep it a secret from others --

有人叫我唔好話俾人聽

even from my father and brother.

連兄弟同爸爸，都唔好講

Later when this chapter appeared in our textbooks,

無幾耐，當我嘅敎科書講到呢樣嘢

our biology teacher skipped the subject.

我嘅生物科老師竟然跳過呢個課題

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

You know what I learned from it?

你知我從中學到乜嘢？

I learned that it is really shameful to talk about it.

就係學識講呢樣嘢係好羞恥

I learned to be ashamed of my body.

對自己嘅身體感到難為情

I learned to stay unaware of periods

學識點樣唔覺經期嚟咗

in order to stay decent.

咁樣就可以好莊重

Research in various parts of India

有研究顯示印度各地方

shows that three out of every 10 girls are not aware of menstruation

每十個女孩就有三個 第一次嚟經都唔知道咩係月經

at the time of their first periods.

And in some parts of Rajasthan

拉賈欺坦有啲地方

this number is as high as nine out of 10 girls being unaware of it.

每十個女仔有多到九個都唔識

You'd be surprised to know

你哋會好出奇

that most of the girls that I have spoken to,

我同好多女仔傾過

who did not know about periods at the time of their first menstruation

佢哋竟然唔知第一次經期就係月經

thought that they have got blood cancer

仲以為係患咗血癌

and they're going to die soon.

以為要死

Menstrual hygiene is a very important risk factor

經期嘅衛生係 生殖系統感染嘅最主要病因

for reproductive tract infections.

印度淨係得 12％ 婦女

But in India, only 12 percent of girls and women

have access to hygienic ways of managing their periods.

知道點喺經期保持衛生

If you do the math,

如果你計下數

88 percent of girls and women use unhygienic ways to manage their periods.

就知有 88％ 婦女經期處理得唔衛生

I was one of them.

我就係其中一個

I grew up in a small town called Garhwa, in Jharkhand,

我係加爾克漢德省加爾赫瓦小城長大

where even buying a sanitary napkin is considered shameful.

聽到啲人連去買衛生巾 我都覺得好瘀

So when I started getting my periods,

初初我有經期嗰時，我用啲碎布

I began with using rags.

After every use I would wash and reuse them.

每次用完都會洗乾淨再用過

But to store them,

但係收拾嗰時

I would hide and keep it in a dark, damp place

就要收埋係又黑又濕嘅地方

so that nobody finds out that I'm menstruating.

咁樣就無人知道我月經嚟咗

Due to repeated washing the rags would become coarse,

由於重覆清洗，碎布已經粗糙

and I would often get rashes and infections using them.

我用咗之後，成日出疹或者感染病

I wore these already for five years until I moved out of that town.

我用咗足足五年 直到我搬離呢個城市

Another issue that periods brought in my life

經期對我嘅生活帶嚟另外一個問題

those of the social restrictions

就係嗰啲強加於 月經來潮嘅婦女嘅社會限制

that are imposed upon our girls and women when they're on their periods.

I think you all must be aware of it,

我諗你哋一定好清楚

but I'll still list it for the few who don't.

但我仲係列曬出嚟 講俾唔知嘅人聽

I was not allowed to touch or eat pickles.

唔准掂同食醃菜

I was not allowed to sit on the sofa or some other family member's bed.

唔准坐梳化或者屋企人嘅床上

I had to wash my bed sheet after every period,

每次經期完咗要洗床單

even if it was not stained.

就算床單無汚糟到

I was considered impure

他們認為我唔純潔

and forbidden from worshipping or touching any object of religious importance.

禁止我參拜或者掂一啲聖物

You'll find signposts outside temples

你會發現寺廟出面有牌路牌

denying the entry of menstruating girls and women.

禁止正在嚟緊經期嘅婦女進入

Ironically,

真係諷刺

most of the time it is the older woman

好多時上咗年紀嘅女人

who imposes such restrictions on younger girls in a family.

將咁樣嘅限制對付屋企嘅細路女

After all, they have grown up accepting such restrictions as norms.

雖然咁樣，佢哋大個咗之後

將限制當作常規

And in the absence of any intervention,

由於冇人阻止

it is the myth and misconception

呢啲鬼話同誤解一代一代咁傳落去

that propagate from generation to generation.

During my years of work in this field,

我係呢個領域工作嗰時

I have even come across stories

曾經聽過有啲傳說

where girls have to eat and wash their dishes separately.

話嚟咗經期嘅女仔 要分開洗自己用過嘅碗碟

They're not allowed to take baths during periods,

又唔准冲涼

and in some households they are even secluded from other family members.

有啲家庭甚至將佢哋同屋企人隔離

About 85 percent of girls and women in India

大約有 85％ 印度婦女喺月經來潮時

would follow one or more restrictive customs on their periods every month.

要遵守一個或以上嘅風俗規限

Can you imagine what this does

你想像得到咁樣對女仔嘅自尊同自信

to the self-esteem and self-confidence of a young girl?

有乜嘢影響？

The psychological trauma that this inflicts,

佢哋遭受呢啲心理創傷會影響早年成長

affecting her personality,

包括個性、學業成績

her academic performance

and every single aspect of growing up during her early formative years?

同長大期間嘅每個環節

I religiously followed all these restrictive customs for 13 years,

我虔誠遵守呢啲風俗約束已經 13 年

until a discussion with my partner, Tuhin,

直到我跟自己嘅伴侶 Tuhin 討論過

changed my perception about menstruation forever.

至永遠改變對月經嘅睇法

In 2009, Tuhin and I were pursuing our postgraduation in design.

2009年，我同佢攻讀設計學研究

We fell in love with each other

我哋共墮愛河

and I was at ease discussing periods with him.

我好輕鬆同佢討論月經的事情

Tuhin knew little about periods.

佢知道少少

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

He was astonished to know that girls get painful cramps

佢對於我哋每月都出血

and we bleed every month.

同腹部絞痛，感到驚訝

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Yeah.

係囉

He was completely shocked to know

佢好震驚

about the restrictions that are imposed upon menstruating girls and women

知道呢啲加喺經期婦女嘅規限 居然係嚟自自己社會同屋企人

by their own families and their society.

In order to help me with my cramps,

佢為咗幫我解決腹絞痛嘅問題

he would go on the Internet and learn more about menstruation.

佢上網學習更多月經知識

When he shared his findings with me,

當佢俾我睇佢搵到嘅資料時

I realized how little I knew about menstruation myself.

我先至發覺自己對月經嘅認識好皮毛

And many of my beliefs actually turned out to be myths.

好多我哋嘅傳統睇法其實都係鬼話

That's when we wondered:

我哋於是諗：

if we, being so well educated,

如果我哋接受咗高等敎育

were so ill-informed about menstruation,

對月經都有誤解

there would be millions of girls out there who would be ill-informed, too.

咁樣嗰啲數以百萬嘅女仔都會一樣

To study --

為咗加深了解呢個問題

to understand the problem better,

I undertook a year-long research to study the lack of awareness about menstruation

我入讀咗一年碩士課程

研究人民對月經缺乏認識

and the root cause behind it.

同埋背後嘅原因

While it is generally believed

通常啲人相信

that menstrual unawareness and misconception is a rural phenomenon,

鄉村嘅地方至會有呢啲現象

during my research,

但我硏究期間

I found that it is as much an urban phenomenon as well.

發現原來市區都係一樣

And it exists with the educated urban class, also.

而且出現喺受過教育嘅階層

While talking to many parents and teachers,

我同過好多家長、老師傾過

I found that many of them actually wanted to educate girls about periods

發現佢地多數都想喺女仔月經開始前

before they have started getting their menstrual cycle.

敎佢哋月經嘅知識

And --

唔⋯

but they lacked the proper means themselves.

但係家長同敎師都冇啱嘅方法

And since it is a taboo,

因為月經係社會禁忌

they feel inhibition and shameful in talking about it.

佢哋講呢樣嘢嘅時候 覺得拘謹同好羞恥

Girls nowadays get their periods in classes six and seven,

而家嘅女仔六、七年班開始有經期

but our educational curriculum

但我哋嘅教育課程到八、九年班先教

teaches girls about periods only in standard eight and nine.

And since it is a taboo,

由於呢啲係禁忌

teachers still skip the subject altogether.

教師仍然跳過呢個課題

So school does not teach girls about periods,

於是學校唔講

parents don't talk about it.

父母唔講

Where do the girls go?

咁啲女仔點算？

Two decades ago and now --

由廿年前至到宜家

nothing has changed.

無嘢改過

I shared these finding with Tuhin and we wondered:

我將自己嘅發現話俾 Tuhin 聽

What if we could create something

我哋於是諗，不如我哋諗啲嘢

that would help girls understand about menstruation on their own --

幫啲女仔自己去了解月經

something that would help parents and teachers

又幫啲家長同老師 舒服咁同啲女仔講下經期呢？

talk about periods comfortably to young girls?

During my research,

我做硏究期間

I was collecting a lot of stories.

收集好多關於 女仔月經來潮經歷嘅故仔

These were stories of experiences of girls during their periods.

These stories would make girls curious and interested

呢啲故仔會令到女仔好奇同有意

in talking about menstruation in their close circle.

喺自己嘅小圈子講呢樣嘢

That's what we wanted.

呢個就係我哋嘅目的

We wanted something that would make the girls curious

我哋想有啲嘢令到女仔好奇

and drive them to learn about it.

然後令佢哋走去了解月經

We wanted to use these stories to teach girls about periods.

我哋想用呢啲故事去敎佢哋

So we decided to create a comic book,

於是決定創作一本漫畫書

where the cartoon characters would enact these stories

書中嘅卡通人物會扮演呢啲故事

and educate girls about menstruation in a fun and engaging way.

用有趣同搞笑的方法敎識佢哋

To represent girls in their different phases of puberty,

我哋有三個人物

we have three characters.

代表女仔青春期嘅唔同階段

Pinki, who has not gotten her period yet,

Pinki 還未有經期嚟

Jiya who gets her period during the narrative of the book

Jiya 剛剛經期嚟到

and Mira who has already been getting her period.

Mira 已經嚟過經期

There is a fourth character, Priya Didi.

第四個人物係 Priya Didi

Through her, girls come to know about the various aspects of growing up

因為佢，啲女仔知道成長嘅各種嘢

and menstrual hygiene management.

同點樣保持經期衛生

While making the book, we took great care

我哋好有心機創作呢本書

that none of the illustrations were objectionable in any way

漫畫插圖唔會惹人反感

and that it is culturally sensitive.

但文化題材有啲敏感

During our prototype testing, we found that the girls loved the book.

我哋做樣本測試時

發現啲女仔好鍾意本書

They were keen on reading it

佢哋好想睇呢本書

and knowing more and more about periods on their own.

等自己知道多啲經期嘅知識

Parents and teachers were comfortable in talking about periods

家長同老師可以好輕鬆咁利用呢本書

to young girls using the book,

同啲細路女討論經期

and sometimes even boys were interested in reading it.

有時連男仔都有興趣睇下呢本書

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

The comic book helped in creating an environment

呢本漫畫書營做咗一個環境

where menstruation ceased to be a taboo.

令月經唔再係禁忌

Many of the volunteers took this prototype themselves to educate girls

好多義工帶呢本樣本書 去印度五個地方敎啲女仔

and take menstrual awareness workshops in five different states in India.

仲舉行埋認識經期嘅工作坊

And one of the volunteers took this prototype to educate young monks

有一個義工帶咗本書去教年輕僧人

and took it to this monastery in Ladakh.

仲帶本書到去 Ladakh 嘅修道院

We made the final version of the book, called "Menstrupedia Comic"

我哋訂咗書最後嘅版本

叫做 Menstrupedia Comic

and launched in September last year.

而且喺舊年九月發行

And so far,

到目前為止

more than 4,000 girls have been educated by using the book in India and --

已經有多過四千個印度 同其他十個國家嘅女仔讀過本書

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

多謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And 10 different countries.

好多女仔讀過本書

We are constantly translating the book into different languages

我哋一直將本書翻譯成唔同語言

and collaborating with local organizations

仲同本地機構合作

to make this book available in different countries.

等呢本書係唔同國家都見到

15 schools in different parts of India

15 間嚟自印度唔同地方嘅學校

have made this book a part of their school curriculum

已經將呢本書加入學校嘅課程

to teach girls about menstruation.

敎女仔月經嘅知識

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I am amazed to see how volunteers,

我好驚訝見到義工、父母、老師

individuals, parents, teachers, school principals,

校長同其他人走埋一齊

have come together

and taken this menstrual awareness drive to their own communities,

已經將呢種認知帶到自己嘅社區

have made sure that the girls learn about periods at the right age

令到啲女仔係適當嘅年齡了解經期

and helped in breaking this taboo.

幫助打破經期嘅禁忌

I dream of a future where menstruation is not a curse,

我夢想將來月經唔會係一種咀咒

not a disease,

亦唔係一種病

but a welcoming change in a girl's life.

而係女仔歡迎嘅人生改變

And I would --

我仲會....

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And I would like to end this

結束今日嘅演講之前

with a small request to all the parents here.

我想向在座嘅所有父母有一個小要求

Dear parents,

各位爸爸媽媽

if you would be ashamed of periods,

如果你對經期覺得羞恥

your daughters would be, too.

咁你哋個女都會一樣

So please be period positive.

請你哋對經期抱著積極的態度

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Thank you.

多謝

(Applause)

（掌聲）