This archive report was first published on 16 November 2019.
Published on November 16, 2019, a thought-provoking billboard in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) has sparked a conversation about menstruation, a topic often shrouded in shame and stigma.
The billboard features a photograph of a young girl with a disability holding a menstrual cup with period blood running down her face, intended to elicit shock and challenge societal norms.
However, the image perpetuates the notion that periods are dirty and shameful, echoing the sentiments of the free bleeding community, a radical movement founded in 2013 that advocates for the rejection of feminine hygiene products.
While the idea of free bleeding is seen as irresponsible, both the free bleeders and the billboard's creators have a point: menstruation is a normal part of a woman's existence and should not be a source of shame or embarrassment.
Menstruation affects millions of women and girls worldwide, with many lacking access to sanitary pads and hiding their pain due to societal pressures.
It's time to break down these taboos and stigmas, and find ways to have this conversation while dignifying women.
As one Kenyan father demonstrated, by having an open conversation with his daughter about womanhood and gifting her a menstruation-related gift, menstruation-related celebrations can be a beautiful way to mark this milestone.
India, for instance, has regular festivals aimed at busting myths and taboos surrounding menstruation, and communities celebrate a girl's first period and a woman's menopause as significant milestones.
Perhaps it's time for us to adopt similar practices, hosting 'period parties' in our communities to celebrate this natural part of womanhood.
