Periods. Blood. Menstruation. Gross. Secret. Hidden. Why?
Siku. Damu. Hedhi. Uchafu. Siri. Kuficha. Kwanini?
A natural biological process that every girl and woman goes through every month for about half of her life. A phenomenon that is so significant that the survival and propagation of our species depends on it. Yet we consider it a taboo. We feel awkward and shameful talking about it.
Utaratibu asilia kibaolojia ambao kila msichana na mwanamke anapitia kila mwezi kwa karibia nusu ya maisha yake. Jambo ambalo ni la umuhimu mkubwa sana kiasi kwamba kupona na uenezwaji wa spishi zetu unautegemea. Bado tunauchukulia kama mwiko. Tunajisikia ugumu na fedheha kuliongelea.
When I got my first periods, I was told to keep it a secret from others -- even from my father and brother. Later when this chapter appeared in our textbooks, our biology teacher skipped the subject.
Nilipopata siku zangu mara ya kwanza, Niliambiwa nifanye iwe siri nisiwaambie wengine-- hata kwa baba yangu au kaka. Baadaye wakati hili somo limejitokeza vitabuni mwetu, mwalimu wetu wa baolojia aliiruka mada.
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
You know what I learned from it? I learned that it is really shameful to talk about it. I learned to be ashamed of my body. I learned to stay unaware of periods in order to stay decent.
Nilijifunza nini kutokana na hili? Nilijifunza kwamba ni fedheha mno kuongelea jambo hili. Nilijifunza kufedheshwa na mwili wangu. Nilijifunza kutokufahamu siku zangu ili kuweza kubaki na heshima.
Research in various parts of India shows that three out of every 10 girls are not aware of menstruation at the time of their first periods. And in some parts of Rajasthan this number is as high as nine out of 10 girls being unaware of it. You'd be surprised to know that most of the girls that I have spoken to, who did not know about periods at the time of their first menstruation thought that they have got blood cancer and they're going to die soon.
Utafiti katika sehemu mbalimbali India waonyesha wasichana watatu kati ya kumi hawafahamu kuhusu hedhi wakati wa siku zao za kwanza. Na baadhi ya sehemu za Rajasthan hii namba ni kubwa kama wasichana tisa kati ya kumi kutokufahamu Unaweza kushangazwa kujua kwamba wasichana wengi nilioongea nao, waliokuwa hawajui kuhusu siku zao wakati wa hedhi zao za kwanza walifikiria kuwa wana saratani ya damu na watakufa muda sio mrefu.
Menstrual hygiene is a very important risk factor for reproductive tract infections. But in India, only 12 percent of girls and women have access to hygienic ways of managing their periods. If you do the math, 88 percent of girls and women use unhygienic ways to manage their periods.
Usafi wa hedhi ni kipengele muhimu cha hatari kwa maambukizi wa mfumo wa via vya uzazi. Lakini India, ni asilimia 12 tu ya wasichana na wanawake wanaweza kupata njia za usafi wa kumudu siku zao. Ukifanya mahesabu, asilimia 88 ya wasichana na wanawake hutumia njia zisizo salama kwa siku zao.
I was one of them. I grew up in a small town called Garhwa, in Jharkhand, where even buying a sanitary napkin is considered shameful. So when I started getting my periods, I began with using rags. After every use I would wash and reuse them. But to store them, I would hide and keep it in a dark, damp place so that nobody finds out that I'm menstruating. Due to repeated washing the rags would become coarse, and I would often get rashes and infections using them.
Nilikuwa mmoja wao. Nilikulia kwenye mji mdogo uitwao Garhwa, jimbo la Jharkhand, ambako hata kununua pedi ilichukuliwa kama fedheha. Sasa nilipoanza kupata siku zangu, Nilianza kutumia matambara. Baada ya kila matumizi niliyafua na kuyatumia tena. Lakini kuyahifadhi, Niliyaficha na kuyaweka sehemu yenye giza na unyevu ilikwamba mtu asijue kuwa niko kwenye hedhi. Kwa kuyarudia kufua matambara yalikuja kuwa magumu, na mara nyingi nilipata upele na maambukizi kwa kuyatumia.
I wore these already for five years until I moved out of that town. Another issue that periods brought in my life those of the social restrictions that are imposed upon our girls and women when they're on their periods. I think you all must be aware of it, but I'll still list it for the few who don't.
Niliyavaa kwa muda wa miaka mitano hadi nilipohama ule mji. Suala lingine ambalo siku zilileta maishani mwangu lile la kuwekewa mipaka kijamii iliyowekwa kwa wasichana wetu na wanawake wakiwa kwenye siku zao. Nafikiri wote lazma mtakuwa mnajua, lakini bado nitaelezea kwa wale wachache wasiojua.
I was not allowed to touch or eat pickles. I was not allowed to sit on the sofa or some other family member's bed. I had to wash my bed sheet after every period, even if it was not stained. I was considered impure and forbidden from worshipping or touching any object of religious importance. You'll find signposts outside temples denying the entry of menstruating girls and women.
Sikuruhusiwa kula au kugusa vitu vichachu. Sikuruhusiwa kukaa kwenye sofa au kitandani mwa ndugu wa familia. Nilitakiwa kufua mashuka kila baada ya siku zangu, hata kama hazikuchafuka kwa madoa. Nilichukuliwa kama najisi na kukatazwa kuabudu au kugusa kitu chochote chenye umuhimu kidini. Ulikutana na matangazo nje ya misikiti kukataza wasichana na wanawake walio kwenye hedhi.
Ironically, most of the time it is the older woman who imposes such restrictions on younger girls in a family. After all, they have grown up accepting such restrictions as norms. And in the absence of any intervention, it is the myth and misconception that propagate from generation to generation.
Chakuchekesha, wakati wote ni wanawake watu wazima ndio walioweka vizuizi hivyo kwa wasichana wadogo katika familia. hata hivyo, wamekua wakikubali vizuizi hivyo kama desturi. Na katika kukosekana kwa kuingiliwa, ni imani potofu na kutoeleweka kunakoenezwa kizazi hata kizazi.
During my years of work in this field, I have even come across stories where girls have to eat and wash their dishes separately. They're not allowed to take baths during periods, and in some households they are even secluded from other family members. About 85 percent of girls and women in India would follow one or more restrictive customs on their periods every month. Can you imagine what this does to the self-esteem and self-confidence of a young girl? The psychological trauma that this inflicts, affecting her personality, her academic performance and every single aspect of growing up during her early formative years?
Kwa miaka nilyofanyia kazi taaluma hii, Nimeshakutana na hadithi ambapo wasichana walitakiwa kula na kuosha vyombo vyao kwa kutengwa. Hawakuruhusiwa kuoga wakati wa siku zao, na katika nyumba nyingine walitengwa hata na ndugu wengine wa familia. Kiasi cha asilimia 85 za wasichana na wanawake India walifuata moja au zaidi ya masharti ya mila kwenye siku zao kila mwezi. Unafikiria hii inafanya nini katika kujithamini na kujiamini kwa msichana mdogo? Kiwewe cha kisaikolojia ambacho hili huumiza, kuathiri haiba yake, utendaji wake kimasomo na kila kipengele cha ukuaji katika miaka ya awali ya uumbaji wake?
I religiously followed all these restrictive customs for 13 years, until a discussion with my partner, Tuhin, changed my perception about menstruation forever. In 2009, Tuhin and I were pursuing our postgraduation in design. We fell in love with each other and I was at ease discussing periods with him. Tuhin knew little about periods.
Nilifuata kwa bidii masharti haya yote ya kimila kwa miaka 13, hadi mjadala na mshirika mwenzangu, Tuhin, ulipobadilisha mtazamo wangu kuhusu hedhi milele. Mwaka 2009, mimi na Tuhin tulikuwa tunasoma stashada katika ubunifu. Tukapendana na nilikuwa huru kujadiliana naye kuhusu siku zangu. Tuhin alijua kidogo kuhusu siku.
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
He was astonished to know that girls get painful cramps and we bleed every month.
Alishangazwa kujua kwamba wasichana hupata maumivu makali na hutokwa damu kila mwezi.
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
Yeah. He was completely shocked to know about the restrictions that are imposed upon menstruating girls and women by their own families and their society. In order to help me with my cramps, he would go on the Internet and learn more about menstruation. When he shared his findings with me, I realized how little I knew about menstruation myself. And many of my beliefs actually turned out to be myths.
Ndio. Alishtushwa kabisa kujua kuhusu vizuizi vinavyowekwa kwa wasichana na wanawake walio kwenye hedhi na familia pamoja na jamii zao wenyewe. Ili kuweza kunisaidia na maumivu yangu, alikwenda kwenye mtandao wa intaneti kujifunza kuhusu hedhi. Aliponielezea alichojifunza, Niligundua ufahamu mdogo nilionao kuhusu hedhi, na vitu vingi nilivyoamini vilikuja kuwa ni imani potofu,
That's when we wondered: if we, being so well educated, were so ill-informed about menstruation, there would be millions of girls out there who would be ill-informed, too. To study -- to understand the problem better, I undertook a year-long research to study the lack of awareness about menstruation and the root cause behind it.
Ndipo nilipojiuliza: kama sisi, tumesoma vizuri hivi, tumefundishwa vibaya kuhusu hedhi, kutakuwa na mamilioni ya wasichana huko nje waliofundishwa vibaya, pia. Kusoma-- kuelewa tatizo vizuri, Nilifanya utafiti wa mwaka mmoja kujifunza ukosefu wa ufahamu kuhusu hedhi na chanzo chake nyuma yake.
While it is generally believed that menstrual unawareness and misconception is a rural phenomenon, during my research, I found that it is as much an urban phenomenon as well. And it exists with the educated urban class, also. While talking to many parents and teachers, I found that many of them actually wanted to educate girls about periods before they have started getting their menstrual cycle. And -- but they lacked the proper means themselves. And since it is a taboo, they feel inhibition and shameful in talking about it.
Wakati kiujumla inaaminika kwamba kutokufahamu hedhi na kuelewa vibaya ni tatizo la vijijini, katika utafiti wangu, Niligundua kwamba ni tatizo la mijini pia. Na lipo kwa daraja la walioelimika mijini, pia. Wakati naongea na wazazi wengi pamoja na waalimu, Niligundua kuwa wengi wao walitaka kuelimisha wasichana kuhusu siku zao kabla hawajaanza kupata mzunguko wao wa hedhi. Na-- lakini wenyewe walikosa njia stahiki. Na kwavile ni mwiko, wanajisikia kusita na fedheha kuongelea jambo hilo.
Girls nowadays get their periods in classes six and seven, but our educational curriculum teaches girls about periods only in standard eight and nine. And since it is a taboo, teachers still skip the subject altogether.
Wasichana siku hizi hupata siku zao wakiwa darasa la sita na la saba, lakini mtaala wetu wa elimu hufundisha wasichana kuhusu siku zao darasa la nane na la tisa tu. na kwa vile ni mwiko, waalimu bado wanairuka mada.
So school does not teach girls about periods, parents don't talk about it. Where do the girls go? Two decades ago and now -- nothing has changed. I shared these finding with Tuhin and we wondered: What if we could create something that would help girls understand about menstruation on their own -- something that would help parents and teachers talk about periods comfortably to young girls?
Hivyo shule haziwafundishi wasichana kuhusu siku zao, wazazi hawazungumzii jambo hilo. Wasichana wanaenda wapi? Miongo miwili iliyopita na sasa-- hakuna kilichobadilika. Nilimshirikisha Tuhin matokeo yangu na tulijiuliza Itakuwaje tukianzisha kitu ambacho kitasaidia wasichana kuelewa kuhusu hedhi wao wenyewe -- Kitu ambacho kitawasaidia wazazi na waalimu kuongelea kuhusu siku za hedhi kwa raha kwa wasichana wadogo?
During my research, I was collecting a lot of stories. These were stories of experiences of girls during their periods. These stories would make girls curious and interested in talking about menstruation in their close circle. That's what we wanted. We wanted something that would make the girls curious and drive them to learn about it. We wanted to use these stories to teach girls about periods.
Wakati wa utafiti wangu, Nilikuwa nakusanya hadithi nyingi. Hizi ni hadithi za mambo waliyopitia wasichana kipindi cha siku zao. Hadithi hizi zitawafanya wasichana wawe wadadisi na kuvutiwa katika kuongea kuhusu hedhi ndani ya watu wao wa karibu. Hicho ndio tulichotaka. Tulitaka kitu ambacho kingewafanya wasichana wawe wadadisi na kuwasukuma kujifunza. Tulitaka kutumia hadithi hizi kufundisha wasichana kuhusu siku zao.
So we decided to create a comic book, where the cartoon characters would enact these stories and educate girls about menstruation in a fun and engaging way. To represent girls in their different phases of puberty, we have three characters. Pinki, who has not gotten her period yet, Jiya who gets her period during the narrative of the book and Mira who has already been getting her period. There is a fourth character, Priya Didi. Through her, girls come to know about the various aspects of growing up and menstrual hygiene management.
Hivyo tukaamua kutengeneza kitabu cha vikatuni ambapo wahusika wa katuni wataigiza hadithi hizi na kuwaelimisha wasichana kuhusu hedhi kwa njia ya kufurahisha na kuwashirikisha. Kuwasilisha wasichana katika hatua zao tofauti za kubalehe, tunao wahusika watatu. Pinki, ambaye hajapata siku zake bado, Jiya anayepata siku zake wakati wa simulizi za kitabu na Mira ambaye tayari amekuwa akipata siku zake. Kuna mhusika wa nne, Priya Didi. Kupitia yeye, wasichana wanakuja kujua kuhusu vipengele kadhaa vya ukuaji na kusimamia usafi wa hedhi.
While making the book, we took great care that none of the illustrations were objectionable in any way and that it is culturally sensitive. During our prototype testing, we found that the girls loved the book. They were keen on reading it and knowing more and more about periods on their own. Parents and teachers were comfortable in talking about periods to young girls using the book, and sometimes even boys were interested in reading it.
Utengenezaji kitabu, ulitumia umakini hakuna katika vielelezo ambavyo vilikuwa na pingamizi lolote na hiyo ni nyeti kitamaduni. Wakati wa majaribio ya sampuli ya awali tuligundua wasichana wakilipenda kitabu. Walikuwa na hamu ya kukisoma na kujua zaidi na zaidi kuhusu siku zao wao wenyewe. Wazazi na waalimu walikuwa hawaoni shida kuongea kuhusu siku kwa wasichana wadogo kutumia kitabu na wakati mwingine hata wavulana walivutiwa kukisoma.
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
(Applause)
(Makofi)
The comic book helped in creating an environment where menstruation ceased to be a taboo. Many of the volunteers took this prototype themselves to educate girls and take menstrual awareness workshops in five different states in India. And one of the volunteers took this prototype to educate young monks and took it to this monastery in Ladakh.
Kitabu cha vikatu kilisaidia katika kujenga mazingira ambapo itasimamisha hedhi kuwa mwiko. Wengi wa waliojitolea walichukua hii sampuli ya awali kuelimisha wasichana na kufanya warsha za kuelimisha hedhi katika majimbo matano tofauti India. na mmoja wa waliojitolea alitumia sampuli hii kuelimisha watawa vijana na aliipeleka kwenye nyumba ya utawa Ladakh.
We made the final version of the book, called "Menstrupedia Comic" and launched in September last year. And so far, more than 4,000 girls have been educated by using the book in India and --
Tulitengeneza toleo la mwisho la kitabu, tukakiita "Menstrupedia Comic" na kukizindua Septemba mwaka jana. Na mpaka sasa, zaidi ya wasichana 4,000 wameelimika kwa kutumia kitabu India na --
(Applause)
(Makofi)
Thank you.
Asanteni.
(Applause)
(Makofi)
And 10 different countries. We are constantly translating the book into different languages and collaborating with local organizations to make this book available in different countries.
na nchi nyingine 10. Mara kwa mara tunakitafsiri kitabu katika lugha tofauti Na kushirikiana na mashirika ya ndani nchi na kufanya hiki kitabu kipatikane katika nchi tofauti.
15 schools in different parts of India have made this book a part of their school curriculum to teach girls about menstruation.
Mashule 15 katika sehemu tofauti India yamekifanya kitabu hiki kuwa sehemu ya mtaala wa shule zao kufundisha wasichana kuhusu hedhi.
(Applause)
(Makofi)
I am amazed to see how volunteers, individuals, parents, teachers, school principals, have come together and taken this menstrual awareness drive to their own communities, have made sure that the girls learn about periods at the right age and helped in breaking this taboo.
Nafurahishwa kuona jinsi wanaojitolea, watu binafsi, wazazi waalimu, wakuu wa mashule wamekutana pamoja na kufanya msukumo huu wa ufahamishaji wa hedhi kwa jamii zao, wamehakikisha wasichana wanajifunza kuhusu siku zao katika umri sahihi na kusaidia katika kuvunja mwiko huu
I dream of a future where menstruation is not a curse, not a disease, but a welcoming change in a girl's life. And I would --
Ninaota maisha ya mbele ambapo hedhi sio laana, sio ugonjwa, ila ni mabadiliko katika maisha ya msichana. Na ninge --
(Applause)
(Makofi)
And I would like to end this with a small request to all the parents here.
Na ningependa kumalizia hii kwa ombi dogo kwa wazazi wote hapa.
Dear parents, if you would be ashamed of periods, your daughters would be, too. So please be period positive.
Wapendwa wazazi, kama mtakuwa mnafedheheshwa na hedhi na mabinti zenu watafedheheshwa, pia. Hivyo tafadhali muwe na mtazamo chanya katika siku.
(Laughter)
(Kicheko)
Thank you.
Asanteni.
(Applause)
(Makofi)