Research has shown that menstruation has long been the cause of the greatest embarrassment for adolescent girls. A large proportion of young girls across Pakistan are unaware of the anatomical changes that adolescence brings with itself to their bodies. But menstruation is more than a physiological process — it has emotional and psychological repercussions as well.

According to a study published by the Aga Khan University in 2009 titled Menstrual knowledge and practices of female adolescents in urban Karachi, 60 percent of the girls studied avoided socialisation, limited movement and were prohibited from attending religious events. The study also found that 50 percent of the girls researched did not bathe during menstruation as they were restricted by their mothers from doing so.

Kiran Khan, who has represented Pakistan in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as a swimmer and has won numerous accolades for the country, is pretty vocal about the importance of menstrual hygiene for girls. She is one of the three Unicef national menstrual hygiene champions, along with basketballer and footballer Sana Mahmud and current football team captain Hajrah Khan, and feels proud to be a part of a campaign that is helping girls to learn about their own bodies.

“We need to put up period boxes in public toilets, make sure that schools have pads available. Schools need to ensure that washrooms have waste bins, shopping bags, etc, so that girls don’t have to miss school. They stay at home out of shame and embarrassment,” she says.

As part of the Unicef campaign, Kiran has been speaking at sessions conducted in schools across the country.

“We share our personal stories. We have two gynecologists sitting next to us. Then we ask the kids about the first time that they got their period. The problem starts at home. Why are mothers not talking about it or telling their daughters beforehand? Most of the girls said they first found out about menstruation through friends. Girls are asked to sit in one corner of the house, not go into the kitchen. We have drawn up all these boundaries in our heads. Brothers ask and we say ‘oh she’s sick.’ It is not a sickness but in fact a sign of ‘good health’,” she says.

Her major goal with this campaign is to burst a lot of ancient myths that continue to harm young girls.

“The biggest myth is that being around water during menses is harmful. I always tell girls that I am a living example — I am in the water 365 days a year, regardless of menstruation, and I am perfectly healthy.”

She herself has never treated menstruation as an excuse to avoid work, sport or daily chores. She is of the view that girls will stop doing that once they are encouraged and are not made to feel ashamed about a natural process.

“I don’t take a day off. I do have mood swings, get lethargic but I will not quit my regimen. If I don’t get into the water, I will go to the gym. I never really got them during a race. I try to take medicine to stop them if I know I will be competing during those dates but I can never make it as an excuse to not swim or perform,” she says.

Through the campaign, Kiran is trying to ensure that mothers and teachers also take part in this responsibility and talk to girls about the changes that are happening in their body.

“We need teachers to be engaged. Children love their teachers and always remember whatever they say. They need to tell the girls that this is a regular process and I am pushing to train teachers as part of this project. We can guide them about how to approach the issue of feminine hygiene.”

She has also spoken up about the use of the menstrual cup, a hygienic and environmentally-friendly option that can be used as an alternate to sanitary napkins.

“It costs about 2,000 rupees but it can last you around 10 years. So many people resist using tampons because they are afraid of injuring themselves. Women will not understand this until they understand their own bodies,” she says.g

Published in Dawn, EOS, September 2nd, 2018