Bhumi Pednekar & Tanaaz Irani Express Their Sadness Over Period Taboo, Feel Disturbed To Learn That Girls Still Drop Out Of School Because Of It

Actresses Bhumi Pednekar and Tanaaz Irani are shocked that conversations around menstrual cycle are still considered a taboo, and stressed on the importance of opening up about it.

Actress Tanaaz Irani, who has a daughter and a son, said: “Being a mother I feel the roads of communication should be quite open between a mother and a daughter especially when it comes to menstrual hygiene. Women are very shy and get very scared to talk about these things. I would want my daughter to talk to me about it rather than go to their friends.”

“I think we need to raise more awareness around how girls are dropping out of school due to lack of menstrual hygiene among the younger generation. There is an entire world out there that does not have the kind of facilities we do… When I was in college and my friends from the gynaecology department went out to government hospitals for internships, they would find small girls in serious health conditions as they would use foreign elements like ‘flower and coconut shells’ when on their periods. I was shocked and I feel that the main thing is that the lines of communication have to be open on these topics at a younger age so that they are conditioned to hear these things.”

Tanaaz says her son is about 12 years old and “we are already talking about how to respect women”.

“The cause of keeping girls in school hits home, and feels personal to me, especially with periods continuing to be a taboo topic. I was shocked to learn that lack of period education is leading to 1 in 5 girls dropping out of school each year,” Bhumi said.

The actress has joined hands with Whisper for an initiative #KeepGirlsInSchool.