A Natural Part of Life
An Essay by Adela K.
It’s high time we acknowledge the difference between luxury and necessity. Periods are natural and women, even poor women, need sanitary pads every month. This is a necessity. According to a researcher 355 million women are menstruating and it’s shameful that only 12% of them have access to sanitary pads, usually because they can’t afford them. The other 88% use clothes, ash, or straw. It is no wonder that so many women feel embarrassed about their period and try to hide it.
In some countries talking about periods is a crime. People cannot solve the problem if they cannot talk about it, even in schools. Many students are too shy to talk about it, which again leads to no change. Parents should tell their children how to take care of their bodies so that their children don’t have problems in their future lives.
A period is a big part of a woman’s life. Most women don’t know how to care for themselves during this time. They also don’t know how pregnancy occurs. Having children is very important to many women but some don’t even know how it happens and they are afraid to ask questions.
I suggest that all schools, especially schools in the villages of Afghanistan, help their students learn about taking care of themselves. Menustration is part of women’s lives and women should know all about it. It is not shameful to know about periods. We are human. That time of month can be really challenging for a woman, no matter what age a woman is. It is important to eat a healthy diet including plenty of proteins such as milk, eggs and nuts. Getting plenty of rest is also important. For many women period days feel like giving birth to a baby so women need to take care of themselves.
Everyone of us learns from our parents, they have a big role in our lives. I highly recommend all parents teach their children, especially girls, about their health.
