Aditi Gupta: A taboo-free way to talk about periods
Aditi Gupta: Ett tabufritt sätt att prata om mens
Aditi Gupta uses storytelling and art to educate young girls about menstruation. Full bio
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goes through every month
går igenom varje månad
of our species depends on it.
är beroende av den.
and shameful talking about it.
och skäms för att prata om den.
a secret from others --
appeared in our textbooks,
i våra läroböcker,
shameful to talk about it.
att prata om det.
vara ovetande om mens
are not aware of menstruation
inte är medvetna om menstruation
out of 10 girls being unaware of it.
nio av tio flickor.
that I have spoken to,
at the time of their first menstruation
sin första menstruation
is a very important risk factor
of girls and women
av flickor och kvinnor
of managing their periods.
sköta sina menstruationer.
unhygienic ways to manage their periods.
ohygieniska sätt att sköta sin mens.
called Garhwa, in Jharkhand,
i Jharkhand,
is considered shameful.
I would wash and reuse them.
in a dark, damp place
that I'm menstruating.
att jag menstruerade.
the rags would become coarse,
blev trasorna grova,
and infections using them.
och infektioner av dem.
until I moved out of that town.
tills jag flyttade från den staden.
that periods brought in my life
and women when they're on their periods.
när de menstruerar.
for the few who don't.
för de få som inte gör det.
or some other family member's bed.
eller någon annan familjemedlems säng.
after every period,
efter varje mens,
any object of religious importance.
föremål med religiös betydelse.
of menstruating girls and women.
för menstruerande flickor och kvinnor.
on younger girls in a family.
på yngre flickor i familjen.
accepting such restrictions as norms.
acceptera restriktionerna som normer.
from generation to generation.
från generation till generation.
and wash their dishes separately.
to take baths during periods,
secluded from other family members.
isolerade från andra familjemedlemmar.
and women in India
och kvinnor i Indien
customs on their periods every month.
under sin mens varje månad.
and self-confidence of a young girl?
och självförtroendet hos en ung flicka?
that this inflicts,
during her early formative years?
av de tidiga uppväxtåren?
restrictive customs for 13 years,
plikttroget i 13 år,
med min partner, Tuhin,
about menstruation forever.
om mens för alltid.
our postgraduation in design.
vår forskarutbildning i design.
discussing periods with him.
att diskutera mens med honom.
that girls get painful cramps
att flickor får smärtsamma kramper
upon menstruating girls and women
menstruerande flickor och kvinnor
and learn more about menstruation.
för att lära sig mer om mens.
about menstruation myself.
visste om menstruation.
actually turned out to be myths.
visade sig vara myter.
who would be ill-informed, too.
som också är felinformerade.
the lack of awareness about menstruation
bristen på medvetenhet om mens
and misconception is a rural phenomenon,
är ett landsbygdsfenomen,
an urban phenomenon as well.
stadsfenomen också.
urban class, also.
bland högutbildade också.
parents and teachers,
wanted to educate girls about periods
ville utbilda flickor om mens
getting their menstrual cycle.
the proper means themselves.
and shameful in talking about it.
i att prata om det.
in classes six and seven,
i klass sex och sju,
only in standard eight and nine.
först i klass åtta och nio.
skip the subject altogether.
helt och hållet.
teach girls about periods,
and we wondered:
och vi funderade:
about menstruation on their own --
att lära sig om mens på egen hand -
parents and teachers
och lärare
comfortably to young girls?
med unga flickor?
of girls during their periods.
om flickors mensupplevelser.
curious and interested
nyfikna och intresserade
in their close circle.
inom sin närmsta krets.
that would make the girls curious
som gjorde flickor nyfikna
to teach girls about periods.
för att lära flickor om mens.
att skapa en serietidning,
would enact these stories
dramatisera historierna
in a fun and engaging way.
på ett roligt och engagerande sätt.
in their different phases of puberty,
i deras olika stadier i puberteten,
during the narrative of the book
under berättelsens gång
been getting her period.
about the various aspects of growing up
om uppväxtens olika aspekter
were objectionable in any way
stötande på något sätt
we found that the girls loved the book.
fann vi att flickor älskade boken.
about periods on their own.
comfortable in talking about periods
bekväma med att prata om mens
were interested in reading it.
intresserade.
in creating an environment
att skapa en atmosfär
themselves to educate girls
prototypen för att utbilda flickor
in five different states in India.
mensmedvetenhet i fem indiska stater.
took this prototype to educate young monks
för att utbilda unga munkar
det här klostret i Ladakh.
called "Menstrupedia Comic"
som heter "Menstrupedia Comic"
educated by using the book in India and --
med hjälp av boken i Indien och -
into different languages
till olika språk
in different countries.
i olika länder.
a part of their school curriculum
hur frivilliga,
teachers, school principals,
drive to their own communities,
medvetenhet om mens till sina samhällen,
learn about periods at the right age
om mens vid rätt ålder
where menstruation is not a curse,
där mens inte är en förbannelse,
i en flickas liv.
to all the parents here.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Aditi Gupta - Social entrepreneur, co-founder of MenstrupediaAditi Gupta uses storytelling and art to educate young girls about menstruation.
Why you should listen
Aditi Gupta is a social entrepreneur and co-founder of Menstrupedia, working towards spreading awareness about menstruation. While studying at the National Institute of Design as a Ford Foundation research scholar, she has conducted extensive research in understanding the scenario of menstrual unawareness in India and its impact on a girl's life. She has designed effective educational tools for girls and schools using storytelling and sequential art for educating young girls about periods in a society where the subject is a major taboo.
Menstrupedia Comic is a complete guide on periods designed by Menstrupedia team being used by more than 30 schools across India. The books are being distributed in other countries like Nepal, South America and Nigeria.
Gupta is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and made it to the achiever's list of Forbes India 30 under 30 in 2014 for her work towards breaking the taboo around menstruation. She is a International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) alumni. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, CNBC and BBC. She aspires to create a future where menstruation is not a taboo but a welcoming change in a girl's life.
Aditi Gupta | Speaker | TED.com