Period. End of Sentence.
In watching the Oscars 2019, quite a lot of global and international projects came to center stage and made history. One project in particular that stole my attention was the winner of Best Documentary Short: Period. End of Sentence. for its uplifting exposition on the struggle of women and girls in rural India facing the taboo and lack of resources relating to menstruation.
The documentary follows Arunachalam Muruganantham, Shabana Khan, Gouri Choudari, Ajeya, and Anita, women and girls of varying ages in Hapur, India. The film draws attention to the issues that these women face as they sacrifice their education for living with the condition of being a woman. They learn and familiarize themselves with a machine that makes biodegradable and low cost sanitary products that they then can sell to other women in their communities, creating a movement of women's empowerment to not feel ashamed over basic bodily functions while contributing to their own and their community's economic stability.
After hearing about this project and watching the short, I decided to do some of my own research on the topic. Currently in parts of India it is estimated that over half of girls do not have a basic knowledge about menstruation when they first get their periods and that fewer than 13% of women use feminine hygiene products due to reasons like lack of access and taboo. Because of a 12% luxury tax on feminine hygiene products, women in need are instead opting for damp rags or cloths, which is not only unhygienic, but is also hazardous to health, correlating with a high number of tract and fungal infections. Coupled with the estimation that 20% of girls drop out of school after reaching puberty and many more missing days due to menstruation-related issues, the crisis of female health and hygiene has never been more important.
There is clear action that needs to be taken by the Indian government regarding policies protecting access to female hygiene products, but also, on perhaps a larger scale, there needs to be a shift in how people in rural India view the topic of menstruation and the importance of women's education. While there are still many steps to be taken, the work of Period. End of Sentence. has opened the conversation.
The documentary follows Arunachalam Muruganantham, Shabana Khan, Gouri Choudari, Ajeya, and Anita, women and girls of varying ages in Hapur, India. The film draws attention to the issues that these women face as they sacrifice their education for living with the condition of being a woman. They learn and familiarize themselves with a machine that makes biodegradable and low cost sanitary products that they then can sell to other women in their communities, creating a movement of women's empowerment to not feel ashamed over basic bodily functions while contributing to their own and their community's economic stability.
After hearing about this project and watching the short, I decided to do some of my own research on the topic. Currently in parts of India it is estimated that over half of girls do not have a basic knowledge about menstruation when they first get their periods and that fewer than 13% of women use feminine hygiene products due to reasons like lack of access and taboo. Because of a 12% luxury tax on feminine hygiene products, women in need are instead opting for damp rags or cloths, which is not only unhygienic, but is also hazardous to health, correlating with a high number of tract and fungal infections. Coupled with the estimation that 20% of girls drop out of school after reaching puberty and many more missing days due to menstruation-related issues, the crisis of female health and hygiene has never been more important.
There is clear action that needs to be taken by the Indian government regarding policies protecting access to female hygiene products, but also, on perhaps a larger scale, there needs to be a shift in how people in rural India view the topic of menstruation and the importance of women's education. While there are still many steps to be taken, the work of Period. End of Sentence. has opened the conversation.
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