A campaign for period positivity | Ananya Grover

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Yanyan Hong

Menstruation.

月經。

A simple word describing a natural biological process,

一個簡單的詞， 用來描述一種自然的生理現象，

weighed down by centuries of stigma,

卻背負著數世紀污名的包袱，

has been transformed into something most of us can only speak about

這個字已經轉變成我們大部分人，

只能私下耳語的事情。

in whispers.

But why?

但，為什麼？

As I speak to you right now,

現在我正在跟各位說話時，

more than 800 million women around the world

全世界就有超過八億女性

are having a period.

正在經期中。

None of us would exist without it,

沒有它，我們都不會存在，

and yet it remains an "embarrassing" subject to broach.

但，它卻仍然是個拿出來講 會很「不好意思」的主題。

From my experience and that of the women around me,

根據我自己和我身邊 其他女性的經驗，

I can tell you that it's exhausting.

我可以告訴各位，這很累人。

It's exhausting to carefully take out a brown paper bag hiding a pad,

很累人的情況包括：要把 衛生棉小心翼翼藏在褐色紙裡，

stuffing it into your pocket in the middle of a class

上課上到一半時， 拿出來塞到口袋裡，

and rushing to the washroom as discreetly as possible.

盡可能不唐突地衝到洗手間。

It's exhausting to sit through lessons and meetings

或者是要撐過一堂課、一場會議，

pretending to be absolutely normal,

還得假裝一切正常，

while internally crying out from intense period cramps.

身體內卻因為強烈的經痛在哀號。

It's exhausting to be dismissively told that you’re PMSing

有人輕描淡寫地告訴你， 你只是正在經歷經前綜合症

or suffering from "that time of the month,"

或遭受「每個月那段時期」 讓我們感到累人，

and it's exhausting to continuously fight back against age-old traditions

或者要持續反抗過時的老舊傳統，

that ask you not to pray,

例如要求經期不可禱告、 造訪寺廟、下廚、

visit temples, cook, touch pickle and the list goes on and on,

碰醃漬食品等等，數不清的禁忌，

while you're just trying to bleed and be left in peace.

尤其是在你只想要 一個人靜靜地流血的時候。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But you know what the worst part is?

但各位知道最糟的部分是什麼嗎？

The worst part is that the things that seem tiring to us

最糟的部分是這些似乎 會讓我們很疲憊的事情

are merely the tip of the iceberg,

只是冰山一角，

because we in this room are privileged enough

因為，我們在這裡的人 還有足夠的特權，

to be able to afford sanitary napkins every month,

能負擔得起每個月購買衛生棉，

to be able to visit a gynecologist in case of any problem,

萬一出問題能去看婦科醫生，

to be able to tell what's normal and abnormal with our monthly cycle.

能分辨出我們的這種 每月週期是否正常。

We have access to water, sanitation and toilets

我們能使用淨水、衛生設備、廁所，

that help us maintain our privacy and hygiene.

這些能讓我們保有隱私和維持衛生。

But what about those who don't?

但沒有這些的人呢？

What about 335 million girls around the world

全世界有大約 三億三千五百萬名女孩

who go to school without even having access to water and soap

去上學時無法取得水和肥皂 來洗手，她們怎麼辦？

to wash their hands?

What about 15-year-old schoolgirls in Kenya

那些只能依靠出賣自己的身體

who have to sell their bodies to be able to buy sanitary napkins?

才能買到衛生棉的肯亞十五歲女孩們，

她們怎辬辦？

What about two-thirds of rural high school girls in India

在印度鄉村的高中女孩， 有三分之二在初潮時，

who don't even understand what their bodies are going through

甚至不知道她們的身體 發生了什麼事，她們怎麼辦？

at menarche?

And right now, we are all gathered here in the USA.

現在，我們大家都聚在美國。

So what about 64 percent of women in St. Louis, Missouri,

那麼，密蘇里州聖路易斯 去年就有大約 64% 的女性

who weren't able to afford menstrual hygiene supplies

負擔不起月經的衛生用品， 她們怎麼辦？

in the previous year?

What about the struggles of homeless, transgender,

因為無家可歸、變性、 陰陽人、背井離鄉

intersex and displaced people

這些問題所苦的人， 她們也會有月經，

who menstruate?

What about them?

她們要怎麼辦？

The scale of the problem,

造成這個問題的部分 原因是因為月經有著

stemming in part from the deep-rooted stigma attached to menstruation,

根深蒂固的污名， 而問題程度之深到難以想像。

is unimaginable.

And the desire to voice this frustration

因為想要把這種挫折感說出來，

led me, along with three other teammates,

我和其他三名隊友

to initiate a campaign that calls for change,

發起了一場運動，目的是呼籲改變、

questions the taboos surrounding menstruation

質疑月經相關的禁忌，

and spreads period positivity.

並傳播關於正面看待月經的資訊。

The name of our campaign, "Pravahkriti,"

我們的運動名稱叫做「Pravahkriti」，

was born from the message that we want to convey to the world.

它是來自我們想要 傳達給世界的訊息。

"Pravah" means "flow,"

「Pravah」的意思是「流」，

and "kriti" means "a beautiful creation."

「kriti」的意思是「美好的創造」。

Because how could the monthly cycle that ultimately gives rise to all creation

因為最終，創造出來的萬物

都是源自這每月的週期， 它怎麼會不美好？

be anything less than beautiful?

Now, as a social issue, menstruation has several facets to it

月經這個社會議題有許多面向

that overlap, reinforce and worsen the situation.

互相重疊，會強化 這個情況並讓它更糟。

So we based our campaign on four fundamental pillars:

所以，我們的活動有四根基柱：

health, hygiene, awareness and spreading positivity.

健康、衛生、意識， 以及散播正面觀念。

But how did we actually implement this?

但，我們要如何實踐？

Well, we started within the walls of our school classroom.

我們從學校的課堂裏開始著手。

Instead of simply explaining menstruation to children

與其簡單地照著教科書 或從生物學角度出發，

from a textbook or biological standpoint,

來直接向孩子解釋月經是什麼，

we adopted an innovative approach.

而是採用一種創新的方法。

We conducted an activity where students strung together a bracelet

我們進行一項活動， 讓學生串起一個手鐲，

consisting of 28 beads signifying the length of the menstrual cycle,

手鐲用二十八個珠子做成，

象徵一個月經週期的長度，

out of which four to seven beads were of a different color,

當中有四到七顆珠子的顏色不同，

demonstrating the days a woman bleeds.

表示女性流血的那幾天。

And in this way, we not only explained what periods are

這麼做，我們解釋說明月經的方式

in a manner that was educational

就不僅有教育意義，

but also approachable and engaging.

也很平易近人、有互動參與。

To offer another example,

再舉一個例子，

we explored various ways of alleviating cramps,

我們探究了許多種減輕經痛的方式，

including preparing some natural remedies in school itself.

包括在學校裡就準備一些天然的療法。

And we didn't just stop at involving girls in our campaign.

我們的活動並不只是讓女孩參與，

In fact, boys were equally involved,

男孩也同樣需要參與，

and one of our co-team members,

各位可以看到， 我們有位合作團隊成員

as you saw,

is also a boy.

也是男孩。

Through internal conversations

透過內部的對談，

where girls could freely share their personal experiences

女孩們可以自在分享她們的個人經驗，

and boys could just ask questions, no matter how "dumb" they might seem,

男孩們也可以問問題， 不論這些問題看起來有多「蠢」，

our male volunteers quickly got over their awkwardness,

我們的男性志工很快就克服了尷尬，

not just supporting but also leading educational sessions.

不僅支援教育課程， 甚至還負責主導。

Clearly, starting an inclusive conversation,

很顯然，展開廣納眾人的對談，

including members of all genders

把各種性別的成員都納入，

and listening to and supporting each other,

傾聽、支持彼此，

can go a long way.

我們就能走得長遠。

Now, to make our campaign successful, we conducted extensive research,

為了讓我們的活動成功， 我們進行了大量的研究，

interviewed gynecologists,

採訪了婦科醫生，

surveyed people to gauge public opinion on periods

進行調查了以了解 大眾對月經的看法，

and conducted a panel discussion with professionals working in this field.

並與這個領域的專家 進行了小組座談。

And then we undertook the journey to create change.

接著，我們便展開了創造改變的旅程。

We organized a stall at Shilpotsav, a local fair,

我們在席波沙當地的集市 設立了一個攤位，

where we distributed sanitary napkin-shaped envelopes

在那裡，我們發送衛生造型的信封，

and bookmarks containing period-positive messages.

還有書籤，上面印有 關於月經的正面訊息。

We donated hundreds of pads that we had collected

我們把學校發起的捐助活動

through a pad donation drive at school.

所收集的數百片衛生棉再捐出去。

Interacting with young girls in government and charitable schools,

和政府及慈善學校的年輕女孩互動，

we explained periods to them through a game of hopscotch

我們透過跳房子遊戲 向她們解釋月經，

and distributed period kits that we had made ourselves

並給她發放了我們 自己做的月經用品包，

that consisted of a pad and other items like a paper soap

內有一片衛生棉和其他東西，

如紙肥皂和洗滌劑以維護衛生、

and sanitizer for maintaining hygiene,

a piece of dark chocolate just to lift their mood,

一片黑巧克力來改善她們的情緒、

a sachet of ginger tea and so on.

一包薑茶茶包等等。

In whatever we did, we strived to think beyond the norm and break barriers,

不論做什麼，

我們都努力讓想法 超越規範、打破障礙，

be it by creating a physical period tracker

包括創造實體的經期追蹤器

to help girls without access to the internet

讓無法使用網路的女孩們

to record their monthly cycle,

也能記錄她們的每月週期，

or sensitizing the masses by performing street plays,

或者透過街頭演出的方式 提升大眾關注度，

or even developing a video game called "Crimson Crusade" --

或甚至開發一個叫做 《紅色十字軍》的電玩遊戲——

(Laughter)

（笑聲）向男孩和女孩介紹

that introduces both boys and girls

to problems faced by menstruating women globally

全世界在經期中的女性會面臨的問題，

and players progress in the game

而遊戲玩家要打敗 月經怪獸來闖關。

by defeating menstrual monsters.

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

To sustain this effort,

我們還在許多間學校中 安裝了十台衛生棉販賣機

we've installed 10 sanitary napkin dispensers in several schools.

來延續我們的努力成果。

Gradually, people's mindsets are changing.

大家的心態漸漸在改變。

But does change come so easily?

但，改變容易嗎？

At a school for the underprivileged,

在一間條件沒有那麽優越的學校中，

we encountered a girl who had just got her first period

我們遇到一位女孩，她的初經剛來，

but wasn't wearing anything to absorb the flow.

但沒有準備任何東西來吸收經血。

Imagine being her,

想像一下你是她，

sitting in class feeling embarrassed and uncomfortable,

坐在課堂中，感覺尷尬又難受，

looking down and seeing red,

向下一看都是紅色的血，

asking your parents for help, asking what was going on with you

向你的父母求助， 問他們你到底怎麼回事，

and being dismissed.

他們卻不予理會。

Imagine the shame, fear and embarrassment for being "caught" doing something wrong

想像那種因為做錯事被「逮」的

羞恥、恐懼，和丟臉，

that forces you into living in ignorance and silence

迫使你生活在無知和沉默中，

at the cost of your health and dignity.

付出的代價是你的健康和尊嚴。

While we do our part, our endeavors will only be successful

我們的努力要能成功， 除了我們扮演我們的角色，

if each one of you internalizes and spreads onward

也必定需要每一個人將 「月經是完全正常的現象」

the idea that menstruation is completely normal,

這個訊息接受並傳播出去，

if each one of you conveys this message to every person you know.

把這個訊息傳遞給你認識的所有人。

When we can discuss digestion, blood circulation and respiration --

既然我們可以討論消化、 血液循環、呼吸——

all natural, biological processes --

這些都是自然的生理現象——

why should menstruation be off-limits?

為什麼要禁止討論月經？

And you, too, can help make it less taboo,

各位都可以協助 讓月經不再那麼禁忌，

simply by being more open with male friends and family members,

做法很簡單： 對男性朋友及家人敞開心扉、

supporting local and international organizations

支持那些努力改善月經衛生管理的

working to improve menstrual hygiene management,

地方性及國際性的組織、

making menstrual bracelets with middle school kids in your area

和你所在地區的中學孩子 一起製做月經手環，

or even by playing Crimson Crusade with your friends.

或者甚至和你的朋友 一起玩紅色十字軍。

Every small steps counts, because brushing this topic under the carpet

每一小步都很重要，

因為隱藏這主題 致使下列問題永遠得不到解决：

perpetuates lack of access to sanitary absorbents,

沒有獲得衛生棉的途徑、

ignorance of menstrual health issues,

對經期健康議題的無視、

school absenteeism, infection and so much more.

學校學生曠課、细菌感染， 及更多其他問題。

I'd like to end with a few lines a volunteer wrote for us:

最後，我想用一位志工 寫給我們的幾句話來收尾：

"Let the crimson tide turn.

「讓紅色的潮流轉變。

Let there be waves of positivity,

讓積極的波浪湧現，

thundering applause,

伴隨雷鳴般的掌聲，

villages full of women who bleed with pride.

村中的女性都能因流血而自豪。

Let there be a scent of education

讓那裏有教育的芬芳，

drifting through the oxygen inhaled by men, women and children.

隨著氧氣被男性、女性及孩童們吸入。

Let all know the marvels of menstruation

讓所有人都認識到月經的奇蹟，

and celebrate Pravahkriti."

並讚頌 Pravahkriti 。」

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）