Menstruation is intrinsic to nature and has existed since the beginning of time; however, shame and silence have followed it. The traditional view of perceiving it as a private and taboo subject has left its mark on society, as women’s bodies were to be considered through the lens of patriarchy (National Centre for Biotechnology Information, 2020). These cycles were thought to be divinely connected to the moon. Community vis-à-vis person-to-person discrimination has been inherited by the society where women are barred from entering temples and many public spaces due to varied reasons, whereas the home has not been spared from these discriminations. Gender equity has pushed men to make conversation around the latency of menstruation. Men, women and the community as a whole have been accepting, and education has played a vital role in creating a space for discussion (Nanyonjo & Nalugya, 2024). It was erratically considered as an ‘issue’, limited to private women’s spaces. It has now made a breakthrough into public spaces, losing the tag of ‘issue’ and is considered natural. This change in viewing menstruation is a result of perpetual hard work and educational swell.

The menstruating body and the holy canons have a deep-rooted relationship. In Judaism, according to Leviticus 15, when a woman has a discharge of blood, the impurity of her menstrual period lasts seven days. Anyone who touches her is unclean until evening. Everything on which she lies or sits during her period is unclean’ (Sefaria, n.d.). The niddah laws in Torah have long been a community source for the subjugation of women, and the ritual bath, mikveh, has posed a position for women, moving them away from nature. The ubiquitous acceptance of this has allowed men to develop a perception that is uncanny towards the menstrual body. The onset of Buddhism created a space where the menstruating body was considered natural and was not seen as out of the ordinary. However, Hinduism holds an unsteady position where most of the ascetics (sadhus) believe that spiritual disruption and sexuality, bodily fluids are the distractions to the spiritual, and the menstrual cycle is a conspicuous symbol of that. The cosmic interplay is channelised in Hindu philosophy, particularly. The prehistoric notion synchronised the moon’s phases with the menstrual cycle. The moon, Chandra, governs fertility and Tantric and Shakta traditions, moving away from the traditional Hindu beliefs, denotes Shakti, the divine feminine energy (India.com, 2023). The Chhaupadi practice in Nepal restricts women to Nida huts, often rendering them vulnerable to a space that is demeaning in nature, as physically it lacks ventilation and has no windows, suffocating women and exposing them to harsh conditions, often resulting in death (Human Rights Watch, 2017).

Men and menstruation are widely yet closely associated. Men in the public sphere and in the private sphere react in a very different manner towards menstruating women. As the relationship with the women in action changes, the reaction towards the ‘issue’ changes. For example, men in the working space discuss and sympathize with their female colleagues during her cycle, ‘A UK study among female staff reports that understanding line managers who treat premenstrual symptoms as real health issues – and not excuses – help women feel validated, supported, and able to speak up or request accommodations like flexible hours’ (CIPD, n.d.), whereas in universities, they acquire a pseudo feminist approach towards the female students, men as educationist behave in a performative and superficial manner while they do not internalize the real sense which is further depicted in their behaviours when the interacting space changes such as home, where they act indifferent to the women, completely disregarding her physical state and acting in a arcadian normalcy. In research conducted by India Today, ‘women pressured to hide symptoms even in close relationships’ (India Today, 2025). The relation between menstruation and siblings is an awkward story. For example, a young man recollects his sister in a chair, the whole day unable to move, while no one in the family asks about her problem, all the while, it is understood that she is going through her periods, the brother is observing her in awkward silence, although he’s aware of her cycle, they cannot voice it. He makes opaque attempts to comfort her, which are localised by fancy dogma in the society. In various cities, campaigns and interventions are paving the way for a change. In Kerala, in an attempt to understand period pain, the onset of the ‘Cup of Life’ initiative is set in malls and universities to make men experience period cramps like pain, which resulted in them reacting hysterically, broadening the scope of conversation and empathy for women (BBC News, 2022). Meanwhile, in Hyderabad, gender-health awareness groups are educating men on menstrual biology, encouraging abandonment of euphemism and engaging in linear discussions instead (Times of India, 2024).

Structural and cultural changes can be achieved through a well-balanced commencement of targeted spread of awareness. Whereas gender-inclusive mental health curricula are still stigmatised and raise a sense of indignation in society, it has become the need of the hour to further nurture a healthy society. Many workplaces are yet to adopt a period-friendly working space where women are given the liberty of paid leave and facilities accommodating a comfortable period. Religious reinterpretations are a paramount requirement. Contemporary sensibility and scholarly interventions should be saliently considered, and a much more secure environment should be created. Mainly, the goal is not to make menstruation a serene subject in the conventional sense but to foster empathy instead of unaddressed silence, and true knowledge instead of social stigma.

References:

BBC News. (2022, August 30). India’s period pain simulator campaign changes men’s attitudes. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-62712664

CIPD. (n.d.). Menstruation support at work. https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/reports/menstruation-support-at-work/

Human Rights Watch. (2017, March 9). Nepal: “Chhaupadi” practice persists despite ban. https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/03/09/nepal-chhaupadi-practice-persists-despite-ban

India Today. (2025, May 28). Survey says men expect women to hide period pain and mental toll. https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/lifestyle/society/story/survey-says-men-expect-them-to-hide-the-physical-and-mental-toll-of-periods-2731949-2025-05-28

India.com. (2023, June 14). Raja Parba Odisha 2023: History, significance, rituals and celebrations. https://www.india.com/festivals-events/raja-parba-odisha-2023-history-significance-rituals-and-celebrations-6079457

Nanyonjo, A., & Nalugya, R. (2024). Menstrual health literacy in Ugandan households. PubMed Central. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40154023

National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2020). The social stigma of menstruation. NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565640

Sefaria. (n.d.). Leviticus 15 — Ritual purity and niddah in Jewish scripture. https://www.sefaria.org/Leviticus.15?lang=bi

Times of India. (2024, June 27). Menstruation education for men in Hyderabad: Raising awareness on women’s health. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/menstruation-education-for-men-raising-awareness-on-womens-health/articleshow/111045480.cms

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Simrah Khan holds a postgraduate degree in Comparative Literature from Jadavpur University (Class of 2022). She completed her undergraduate studies in German Language and Literature at Aligarh Muslim University. Her research interests span Canadian Literature, German Literature, Migrant Narratives, and Comparative Literary Studies, with a growing focus on dialogue studies, rhetoric, and writing. Simrah has previously worked as a content writer and as a translator in the German language. Passionate about world literature and languages, she continues to engage in interdisciplinary research and writing. She can be reached at writetosimrah@gmail.com.