ENGAGING MALES IN MENSTRUAL CONVERSATIONS.

Menstruation is a topic that is perceived as a taboo or something that should not be discussed publicly.It is considered impure and disgusting in some parts of the world.

There's still an element of shame till now especially in school for the young girls.I remember in primary school we would feel so uncomfortable during our periods. Boys would laugh and tease us if they noticed we were on our periods. If a girl happened to soil her school uniform she would be trolled and that led to girls opting to miss school during that time of the month.It was and still is a losing end for the girls coz in some instances they may fail to catch up on the school work they got to miss out on.

Most males will choose not to talk about menstruation and this may affect women and girls, especially in a setting where they depend on men for money to buy sanitary towels and other menstrual hygiene products and that could lead to females opting for other ways to get the money.

If we involve males in this conversation, I believe they can contribute in changing the narrative around menstruation. We will have more supportive, empathetic and sympathetic males in the society.Girls will also feel comfortable and bold enough when talking about it. At work, in relationships etc many men will be patient with women and not blame her irritability that really comes in handy during menstruation and other challenges that occur too.

Lastly menstruation should be treated and taken as a very important topic.The girlchild needs to be supported and provided with everything she needs eg sanitary towels,water etc. When a girl has these things at her disposal it boosts her self confidence and makes her bold enough in life. Women leaders and women in general should speak out and about this topic to their male counterparts and ensure no girl faces the challenges of discrimination and lacking of hygiene products especially the less fortunate. Menstrual hygiene products should also be affordable too. New laws should be imposed to ensure women and girls access these products easily.

Let's make the world a better place for women and girls.

Image on my header is from Pinterest.