An abundance of societal taboos around the topic of menstruation have led to the alienation of women, further perpetuating norms and myths around the same. It is a topic of restricted conversations that happens only between women or a group of female friends. The four to seven days of a cycle limit mobility, cause intense pain and impact a woman’s self-image and unfortunately, our societal behaviours do not make the situation any better.
As our communities evolve we are witnessing the rise of a generation that is more empathetic to the struggles of females and more determined to disapprove of social myths. Efforts are being made to transform the conversation around menstruation and invite change in the way society perceives what is a natural human function.
‘Cup of Life’, embraces this change and aims to be one of the flagbearers of this movement. The organisation understands the financial and environmental costs borne out of the social stigma related to menstruation and hopes to repair the system with more conscious measures; creating awareness to aid people in selecting the best menstrual products and normalising discussions about periods across all genders.
Their first reusable menstrual hygiene product is both sustainable and economic. It is a small, flexible funnel-shaped cup that is an alternative to sanitary napkins or tampons. Cups can hold more blood than any other menstrual hygiene product and are way more affordable in the long run as well. It is also an eco-friendly substitute that makes the entire menstrual process safer and supports women throughout.
Additionally, the Cup of Life project has entered the Guinness Book of World Records as for distributing 1,00,001 free menstrual cups across 126 venues in 24 hours. The two-month-long awareness campaign trained around a thousand volunteers and educated women on the topic of menstrual hygiene and the use of menstrual cups. As part of the campaign, disruptive activities such as the use of cramp simulators were employed in addition to promoting public discussions in metros.
The informative conversations were aided by scientific studies shared by around 40 doctors. This was a space where hundreds of men, including college students and celebrities, participated to widen the discourse around menstrual hygiene. The initiative has transformed the way society perceives menstruation, virginity, and women’s freedom in general, along with breaking various myths regarding these topics.
You can find more information here.
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