Introduction
Menstruation is the regular discharge of blood and mucosal tissue from the inner lining of the uterus via the vagina. Menstruation is also known as menses, menstrual period, menstrual cycle or period. A typical cycle lasts between 24 to 38 days. This stage begins at 11 – 14 years and continues until menopause at about 52 years. However, ranges vary from one female to another depending on the individual’s body hormones. Every female can attest to having their first experiences in their own unique ways, such as scary, confused, and unprepared, among other different feelings.
Is menstruation really an equal right?
Recently, a Kenyan senator made headlines when she showed up in a white suit stained red. It caused a national uproar that caught everyone’s attention irrespective of their gender, although much sympathy and understanding was witnessed by her male counterparts present in the parliamentary sitting.
Normally, we would expect fellow women to stand up for each other, but this case presented a different view. It was the woman who ended up criticizing her to the point of asking her to go change into a more accommodating outfit.
Spain recently became the first European nation to pass a bill that now allows paid menstrual leave for up to 5 days. This comes after it recently became one of the countries that made sanitary towels free for all, just like contraceptives in many countries.
Having been a debate for a while now, period poverty has been a scarecrow that unfortunately we are struggling to take it down. This is among the many unequal rights that women and girls face globally. This includes the inability to obtain menstrual products and hygienic leeway’s where they can be used.
Regrettably, menstruation has led to the onset of early marriages, unwanted child pregnancies, sex trafficking and school drop-outs. All these results are with the aim of acquiring the financial willpower to purchase menstrual products.
Conclusion.
Menstruation is a normal process that should be treated with dignity. It comes with symptoms such as menstrual cramps, headaches, mood swings, and craving for certain types of foods. It is what differentiates the genders and, sadly, brings about the gender inequality that we desperately yearn to do away with. There is a need for all to be accommodating by not sidelining women and treating them indifferently.
