What Is The Red Dot Campaign And Why Is It Important For Every Woman
It was New Year’s Eve and I was out for one of my visits to the movie theater, planning to get the most of my yearly reunion. The movie, popcorn and the weather being relishable, we were having a ball. However, it wasn’t long until the atmosphere was spoiled by the continuous sighs of the people near us. I wondered what made them so disgusted and soon enough, I noticed that it was their reaction to Akshay Kumar’s sanitary napkin advertisement. While having a short discussion with them (to which they very reluctantly answered because “IT wasn’t something apt to be discussed in public”) I realized that they were of the opinion that men and children shouldn’t be exposed to such advertisements openly (yes, surprising!). And thus dear readers, I introduce you to one of India’s gravest but relatively overlooked issues- Menstrual Taboo.
Menstrual taboo has long been a common scenario in India and we are paying a hefty price for it. According to an NDTV report, 23 million girls drop out of school every year due to the lack of facilities regarding menstruation. Lack of knowledge and proper hygiene results in life-threatening conditions in numerous women. Improper disposal of menstrual waste causes serious health complications which sometimes claim the lives of the sanitation workers handling them. All these bring us to one clear conclusion, i.e, the lack of knowledge and awareness. It is high time we take initiatives to spread awareness and pave a way out of these issues. One such initiative aimed to promote menstrual talks is the Red Dot Challenge by the UNICEF.
What is the Red Dot Challenge?
According to Michael Juma, chief of state, UNICEF, “The red dot challenge aims at busting myths and promotes facts on menstrual hygiene, collectively inspiring all – men, boys, women and girls to candidly talk about menstruation. ” If you’re an avid social media user, you must’ve come across images of people with a red dot in their palm, yes, that’s the Red Dot Challenge!
Though it is in effect since last year, it only got wide recognition this year, thanks to the celebrities coming forward and taking the challenge. The challenge had 1500+ posts and saw much enthusiasm among men too, reflecting the positive mindset of today’s youth. Some posts from the challenge are:
It’s no lesser-known fact that women and adolescent girls often face stigma, harassment and social exclusion during menstruation. Transgender men and non-binary persons who menstruate often face discrimination due to their gender identity that prevents them from accessing the materials and facilities that they need. This has a serious negative impact on the lives of those who menstruate and they suffer silently in spite of not being at fault.
Menstruation in itself is a lot and we certainly don’t need an add-on. It’s time we normalize the fact that menstruation can be messy and painful but never shameful. The modern human needs to come out of the clutches of age-old customs and beliefs that are ridiculous and embrace menstruation as just another biological process.
Credit: All images are courtesy Instagram accounts of the owners depicted in the article.