For as long as I can remember, menstrual cycles have been an unspoken annoyance that links all women together. While many religions consider women who are on their periods to be impure, and men cringe at the thought of this natural process, women are forced to pretend like the cramps don't exist, shove a tampon in the back pocket of their purse and continue on with their day. However, women do not willingly choose to go through this every month and, therefore, society should not force us to feel ashamed of something we truly have no control over.
Kiran Gandhi, a Harvard Business School graduate and former drummer for M.I.A., saw the 2015 London Marathon as the perfect opportunity to diminish the negative connotation associated with periods. After a full year of training for this marathon, Gandhi got her period the night before the big race. Fearful of the discomfort she was about to feel, she made a decision that would not only empower her, but also women around the world.
Kiran Gandhi decided to run the entire marathon without any feminine products.
Of course, she received some negative feedback for her decision, but it is her body so there is no reason for her to be forced to feel uncomfortable. However, her comfort was not the only thing motivating her decision: Gandhi wanted women, who don't have access to feminine products, to know they are not alone. She wanted to expose the blasphemy associated with periods and let society know that periods are real, and there is no reason to hide them.
Having your period is difficult enough, now imagine living in poverty and having to deal with this once a month. Tampons cost about $7.00 per box and are not covered by food stamps. The lack of feminine products and clean showers leaves these women with a greater risk of infection, another obstacle in an already difficult life. Since our society dismisses the existence of periods, this issue is not emphasized enough, leaving women to attempt to deal with it alone.
When I first heard about Gandhi, I was appalled and disgusted. I could not understand how running without any feminine products benefited anyone. After some research, I realized that my initial reaction was due to the society I was brought up in. In eighth grade, my male classmate asked me why I had missed school the prior day, when I responded with "bad cramps," he told me that was disgusting and yelled "TMI!" From that moment on, I kept any information regarding my menstrual cycle to myself. Clearly, he was an immature middle schooler in midst of puberty, but in my mind, periods quickly became a shameful and private aspect of life. Seven years later, and I was extremely hesitant to write this article; however, Gandhi inspired me.
To all those who have pretended that periods do not exist: Periods are real, and they happen once a month. Most people view a women's time of the month as an excuse to make a PMS joke, but boy, those people are so wrong.
