Social taboos and menstrual health in the Pindar Valley

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When I visited the 34 year old pradhan of Khati village during my research, her first words to me were: “Don’t touch me … I am menstruating …” . Sitting at the door of her "goth" or cow shed, she explained that the word for menstruation in Kumaoni is the same word used for “untouchable” or “to stay separately”. I tried to imagine what it was like to spend a night alone in the dark and suffocating cow shed surrounded by buffaloes, the smell of dung, the freezing cold in winters, the insects and an occasional snake. Not being able to use the toilet and having to trek down to the stream to wash up - even in sub zero temperatures. The pradhan was aware that menstruation is a normal biological process. “Stree nahi hai, to sansar kaha se ayega? If women did not menstruate, where would the next generation come from?” she asked. And yet, due to unequal gender relations, even though she is head of the village, she continues to sleep in the shed when she is menstruating. Given this context, it was overwhelming to hear that the women who attended the training on menstrual hygiene management facilitated by WSSCC and the Hans Foundation had stopped using the goth and had started to advocate for safe and hygienic menstrual practices in the valley. They demonstrated that it is possible to change deeply entrenched mindsets and practices with the help of the community, including the men - many of whom were at the forefront of the initiative.

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