Taboo

SCHOOL STUDENTS CHALLENGE TABOO

By Stephen Wilson

             

"The Blackfoot American Indians were experiencing dreadful times. They were starving to death. One group of Indians were desperately searching for food around the wilderness. They hunted, fished and scavenged but could never get enough food. The rule was that if someone found food they had to share it with the rest. Once some of them smelt something strong which convinced them it was fish. They became convinced that someone on the sly was secretly cooking fish while they slept. This suspicion provoked a lot of heated arguments, accusations and counter accusations. Someone somewhere was concealing food from the other members of the tribe. It looked as if a fight would break out. Then suddenly a  young girl shouted loudly:  

              

"Nobody is hiding any fish.The strong smell of fish comes because I am having my period!" As soon as her brother heard this he died of a heart attack. " The story was told to me by a Blackfoot storyteller Daniel Ogan while he was visiting Moscow. For some reason he never told this story during a performance of the Storytelling project. Maybe he thought it would be embarrassing or inappropriate to tell such a story or that people might misconstrue it. But when I retold this story to a Russian Maria Koroleva she told me "It is a great story because it really expresses the terrible suffering the Blackfoot Indians were experiencing". The story is instructive for two reasons. It reminds us of the past and present injustice undergone by native American Indians and how inhibited women can be about admitting they are having their period. Young girls often feel awkward, embarrassed and ashamed about this. They feel they might be mocked and taunted by some of their insensitive male peers. And at school, there are more often no places they can go to have their period in peace. Strange as it may seem, what is a natural and normal part of biology is practically criminalized and even the mention of the word is taboo in some cultures. I heard of one case where a young female pupil was driven to suicide because she was humiliated in front of the class by a male teacher for having their period in class. I think the country may have been India. But In Britain and many other countries women still experience problems with this issue. A  2019 survey by the Charity 'Plan International UK' found that half of girls aged 14-21 missed school because they were anxious about their period. And almost 57% reported being mocked for perceived mood or behavior while menstruating or being teased about leaking sanitary products.

              

A further issue is that girls from poor families can't afford tampons so they often resort to using cloth or tissues of some sort. Then there are often no comfortable zones to menstruate.  It is difficult to use a toilet when you have a male pupil lingering at the entrance.

             

However, some school students have had enough of this. A 17-year-old student from Llanishen High school in Cardiff Wales decided to found a new pressure group that would fight for better conditions for school girls. The group would organize special classes where pupils were told not to feel ashamed and how male pupils could react in a much more positive and supportive way when they heard girls were having their period. The school would also provide a comfort free room where girls could have their period as well as receive free sanitation products. Molly Fenton and her sister Jilly organised an on-line site and also a group called 'Love your Period'. Like many girls Molly stated: "I couldn't even say the word 'Period" without feeling embarrassed." This project became so successful that now practically all the girls at school don't feel embarrassed at asking a teacher to go to the toilet to have their period. She can say, "Please sir, I am having my period" and nobody blushes. The project has spread to many other schools throughout Britain. This case demonstrates that it takes only two or three people to change things for the better if they are determined enough. Small scale projects can have unforeseen and unexpected results.

              

All it needs is two or three pupils to come together and a sympathetic ear from the teachers' staff room and all kinds of wonders can unfold! So even seemingly insignificant actions might have an  imperceptible but profound impact.