Learning Outcomes:
- To understand intersectionality and gain a deeper understanding of how caste and class intersect with gender issues in the context of menstruation.
- To learn how multiple social identities impact people’s experiences and access to menstrual hygiene.
- To recognize how privilege and disadvantage play out in the context of menstruation, shedding light on how upper-caste and class individuals experience this issue differently from those in marginalized communities.
- To critically analyze concepts like capitalism and gender inequality.
- To shed light on how capitalism perpetuates gendered inequalities and binaries and develop critical thinking skills by examining how economic systems can contribute to or exacerbate social issues, including period poverty.
- To promote inclusivity and emphasize the importance of addressing these issues comprehensively and dismantling cultural stigmas.
“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my own”
~ Audre Lorde
Introduction
Understanding Intersectionality, Privilege, and Marginalization
Capitalism and Commodification
Period Poverty and Dalit Identity
Upper-caste women face societal restrictions when it comes to discussing menstruation, while lower-class Dalit women often struggle with limited resources, such as access to proper menstrual products like cloth or sanitary napkins. Due to this unavailability, they are forced to use ash, hay, or even dirty cloth as a substitute for safe menstrual products.
Conclusion
References
‘Keep Girls in School’ at the Risk of Exacerbating Inequalities.” PubMed Central (PMC). December 1, 2022. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9790947/.
Bobel, Chris, Inga T. Winkler, Breanne Fahs, Katie Ann Hasson, Elizabeth Arveda Kissling, and Tomi-Ann Roberts. 2020a. The Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies. Springer EBooks. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7.
Hooks, Bell. 1998. Where We Stand: Why Class Matters. Psychology Press.
“The Realities of Period Poverty: How Homelessness Shapes Women’s Lived Experiences of Menstruation.” In Springer EBooks, 31–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-0614-7_4.
“What Is Period Poverty?” Feminism in India, June. https://feminisminindia.com/2021/07/28/what-is-period-poverty/#:~:text=Effects%20of%20period%20poverty&text=It%20has%20been%20estimated%20that,and%20inaccessibility%20of%20period%20products.
“If You Think Caste Has Nothing To Do With Menstruation, You Might Want To Think Again!” Youth Ki Awaaz, January. https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2020/12/menstruation-with-an-intersectional-lens-of-caste/.
“Amplifying The Unheard Voices: Why Caste And Menstruation Cannot Be Separated.” Youth Ki Awaaz, August. https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2020/07/menstruation-and-caste-intersectionality/.
“Top 5 Facts about Period Poverty in India.” The Borgen Project, April. https://borgenproject.org/about-period-poverty-in-india/.
“Why Are We Missing Out In Addressing Period Poverty?” Feminism in India, April. https://feminisminindia.com/2020/05/21/missing-out-addressing-period-poverty/.
“No, All Women Are Not Dalit Because They Suffer Untouchability While Menstruating.” Youth Ki Awaaz, October. https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2020/05/can-we-really-discuss-menstruation-in-india-without-talking-about-caste/.
Soumya Arora is a final-year student at Jesus and Mary College, University of Delhi, pursuing a Major in Political Science. She is very passionate about intersectional feminism, gender studies, social justice, and equality. She exhibits a keen interest in socio-political developments, empowerment of marginalized communities, subaltern studies, and policy discourse.
Editing Credits
Prachi Oberoi is an undergraduate student at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi pursuing a B.A. Political Science Honors. Her keen interests lie in the topics like gender equality, environmentalism, and international relations. With every academic piece that she is associated with, she tries to broaden her intellectual horizons and share a novel, yet important learning to the world!