Generations share period stories in India
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In Mumbai, India, Uma experiences her first period and shares the experience with her mother, Tara, and grandmother, Ammamma, sparking a conversation about menstruation across three generations.
Tara recounts her own first period occurring during a math Olympiad, where she fainted and alerted the entire hall to the event. Ammamma remembers a time when sanitary pads were unavailable and women used washable cotton saris, and also details how menstruation once meant restriction and being seen as a burden.
The women discuss how practices surrounding menstruation persist even today, with some families still excluding menstruating girls from the kitchen. Tara points out that 80% of women aged 21 to 30 in India reportedly receive no education about menstruation. They also share stories of stigma, including a tennis player who faced online criticism for a visible period stain during a match.
The conversation shifts to the physical experience of periods, and ultimately the three women enjoy a celebratory meal of chocolate lava cake, acknowledging the shared experience of womanhood and the importance of open communication about menstruation.
