聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 This week I came across quite the story on the internet, I'll say off the bat that this may make some people uncomfortable to talk about, however, it is a natural part of life and our culture has simply made it an awkward topic.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The article I read was from People, which focused on a woman who ran in the London Marathon. She had spent a year preparing for her first marathon and was going into the 26.2 mile run in London fully prepared.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 That's all pretty normal, except the woman, Kiran Gandhi, ran the marathon while menstruating without using feminine hygiene products. She realized that she would be going on her period on the day of the marathon and decided to run the marathon this way.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The article by Char Adams, is titled, 鈥淲oman Runs London Marathon Without a Tampon, Bleeds Freely to Raise Awareness.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Adams writes, 鈥淜iran Gandhi, who has played drums for singer M.I.A. And Thievery Corporation, decided to run the London Marathon without a tampon. Gandhi let her blood flow freely to raise awareness about women who have no access to feminine products and to encourage women to not be embarrassed about their periods.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The article caught my eye for that exact reason, because it is something that is made to be embarrassing. We treat it as something not to be talked about, as an awkward topic, in Western culture when in reality there are so many women in the world that not having feminine hygiene products is the norm.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Looking into her story a little bit more, I found an article online from Cosmopolitan, titled, 鈥�26-year-old Woman Free Bleeds Proudly Through Her First Marathon,鈥� where she told Helen Jung: 鈥淚 feel grateful that so many people get it... Men and women alike, they get it. That is my favorite part about this whole thing, that people are remembering that women have this thing that they have to deal with. For some people, it isn't a big deal, and for other people, it is. It's amazing that every month, they clean it up, and every month, they act like they aren't in pain when they are...鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he other thing that's a big deal is that people around the world who can't either afford to clean up because society tells you you have to and can't go out in public and participate in work or go to the pool. This conversation happens all the time but it's so real. I have this vision that if men had their period, because we are in a male-privileging society, that rules would be written into the workplace, rules would be written into the social fabric that enable men to take a moment when they need to or enable people to talk about their periods openly. We would make it OK. But it is oppressive to make someone not talk about their own body. It's intelligently oppressive to not have language to talk about it and call it out and engage with it. I really can't think of anything that's the equivalent for men, and for this reason, I believe it's a sexist situation.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I personally don't think I'd be able to do what she did, and I'm not just talking about running a marathon, haha. I think it is true that society finds the topic awkward and there's a good chance a few readers stopped reading when they realized what this column focused on this week. And for nothing more than how our society is raised to think about menstruation.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In fact, when I read the first article about her I almost stopped. My initial reaction to seeing a photo of her with blood showing on her pants was 鈥渢hat's gross.鈥� But, automatically I questioned myself, why did I react that way? Well, because society taught me to. It's something women are supposed to keep hidden and as a result they are often embarrassed by. As an example of this, tampons have continually gotten smaller so as to be more discreet because god forbid someone sees you with one.聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This week I came across quite the story on the internet, I'll say off the bat that this may make some people uncomfortable to talk about, however, it is a natural part of life and our culture has simply made it an awkward topic.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The article I read was from People, which focused on a woman who ran in the London Marathon. She had spent a year preparing for her first marathon and was going into the 26.2 mile run in London fully prepared.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 That's all pretty normal, except the woman, Kiran Gandhi, ran the marathon while menstruating without using feminine hygiene products. She realized that she would be going on her period on the day of the marathon and decided to run the marathon this way.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The article by Char Adams, is titled, 鈥淲oman Runs London Marathon Without a Tampon, Bleeds Freely to Raise Awareness.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Adams writes, 鈥淜iran Gandhi, who has played drums for singer M.I.A. And Thievery Corporation, decided to run the London Marathon without a tampon. Gandhi let her blood flow freely to raise awareness about women who have no access to feminine products and to encourage women to not be embarrassed about their periods.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The article caught my eye for that exact reason, because it is something that is made to be embarrassing. We treat it as something not to be talked about, as an awkward topic, in Western culture when in reality there are so many women in the world that not having feminine hygiene products is the norm.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Looking into her story a little bit more, I found an article online from Cosmopolitan, titled, 鈥�26-year-old Woman Free Bleeds Proudly Through Her First Marathon,鈥� where she told Helen Jung: 鈥淚 feel grateful that so many people get it... Men and women alike, they get it. That is my favorite part about this whole thing, that people are remembering that women have this thing that they have to deal with. For some people, it isn't a big deal, and for other people, it is. It's amazing that every month, they clean it up, and every month, they act like they aren't in pain when they are...鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he other thing that's a big deal is that people around the world who can't either afford to clean up because society tells you you have to and can't go out in public and participate in work or go to the pool. This conversation happens all the time but it's so real. I have this vision that if men had their period, because we are in a male-privileging society, that rules would be written into the workplace, rules would be written into the social fabric that enable men to take a moment when they need to or enable people to talk about their periods openly. We would make it OK. But it is oppressive to make someone not talk about their own body. It's intelligently oppressive to not have language to talk about it and call it out and engage with it. I really can't think of anything that's the equivalent for men, and for this reason, I believe it's a sexist situation.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I personally don't think I'd be able to do what she did, and I'm not just talking about running a marathon, haha. I think it is true that society finds the topic awkward and there's a good chance a few readers stopped reading when they realized what this column focused on this week. And for nothing more than how our society is raised to think about menstruation.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In fact, when I read the first article about her I almost stopped. My initial reaction to seeing a photo of her with blood showing on her pants was 鈥渢hat's gross.鈥� But, automatically I questioned myself, why did I react that way? Well, because society taught me to. It's something women are supposed to keep hidden and as a result they are often embarrassed by. As an example of this, tampons have continually gotten smaller so as to be more discreet because god forbid someone sees you with one.
