Dispelling Stigma Through a Comic

This June, young girls in the State will have a fun resource to learn about an important biological function.

Menstrupedia, an Ahmedabad-based initiative, is planning to release a comic book that will provide essential information about menstruation, in an easy and accessible manner.

The book will first be released in English, and then translated into other languages, said Aditi Gupta, co-founder of the initiative.

The aim of the comic book, Ms. Gupta said, is to help young girls manage their periods effectively and to help parents and educators teach them about menstruation.

“Often, schoolteachers simply skip the subject. In many cases, menstruating girls are branded impure. Another objective of the comic book is to dispel this notion of impurity and the many taboos and myths associated with it,” she said.

“Any initiative that creates awareness about this is good, as there is a huge amount of ignorance on this subject,” said Aruna Rathnam, education specialist, UNICEF, Chennai.

Ms. Rathnam said trouble managing their periods is a contributing factor to girls dropping out of schools. “In many cases, mothers too don’t know much about it and won’t talk about it due to socio-cultural restrictions. Girls grow up ignorant and afraid, and this leads to a host of issues,” she said.

Read the entire article. You can also pre order the book here.

Image Source : Menstrupedia