Menstruation.

A simple word describing
a natural biological process,

weighed down by centuries of stigma,

has been transformed into something
most of us can only speak about

in whispers.

But why?

As I speak to you right now,

more than 800 million women
around the world

are having a period.

None of us would exist without it,

and yet it remains an "embarrassing"
subject to broach.

From my experience and that
of the women around me,

I can tell you that it's exhausting.

It's exhausting to carefully take out
a brown paper bag hiding a pad,

stuffing it into your pocket
in the middle of a class

and rushing to the washroom
as discreetly as possible.

It's exhausting to sit
through lessons and meetings

pretending to be absolutely normal,

while internally crying out
from intense period cramps.

It's exhausting to be dismissively told
that you’re PMSing

or suffering from
"that time of the month,"

and it's exhausting to continuously
fight back against age-old traditions

that ask you not to pray,

visit temples, cook, touch pickle
and the list goes on and on,

while you're just trying to bleed
and be left in peace.

(Laughter)

But you know what the worst part is?

The worst part is that the things
that seem tiring to us

are merely the tip of the iceberg,

because we in this room
are privileged enough

to be able to afford
sanitary napkins every month,

to be able to visit a gynecologist
in case of any problem,

to be able to tell what's normal
and abnormal with our monthly cycle.

We have access to water,
sanitation and toilets

that help us maintain
our privacy and hygiene.

But what about those who don't?

What about 335 million girls
around the world

who go to school without even having
access to water and soap

to wash their hands?

What about 15-year-old
schoolgirls in Kenya

who have to sell their bodies
to be able to buy sanitary napkins?

What about two-thirds
of rural high school girls in India

who don't even understand
what their bodies are going through

at menarche?

And right now, we are all
gathered here in the USA.

So what about 64 percent of women
in St. Louis, Missouri,

who weren't able to afford
menstrual hygiene supplies

in the previous year?

What about the struggles
of homeless, transgender,

intersex and displaced people

who menstruate?

What about them?

The scale of the problem,

stemming in part from the deep-rooted
stigma attached to menstruation,

is unimaginable.

And the desire to voice this frustration

led me, along with three other teammates,

to initiate a campaign
that calls for change,

questions the taboos
surrounding menstruation

and spreads period positivity.

The name of our campaign, "Pravahkriti,"

was born from the message
that we want to convey to the world.

"Pravah" means "flow,"

and "kriti" means "a beautiful creation."

Because how could the monthly cycle
that ultimately gives rise to all creation

be anything less than beautiful?

Now, as a social issue,
menstruation has several facets to it

that overlap, reinforce
and worsen the situation.

So we based our campaign
on four fundamental pillars:

health, hygiene, awareness
and spreading positivity.

But how did we actually implement this?

Well, we started within the walls
of our school classroom.

Instead of simply explaining
menstruation to children

from a textbook or biological standpoint,

we adopted an innovative approach.

We conducted an activity where students
strung together a bracelet

consisting of 28 beads signifying
the length of the menstrual cycle,

out of which four to seven beads
were of a different color,

demonstrating the days a woman bleeds.

And in this way, we not only
explained what periods are

in a manner that was educational

but also approachable and engaging.

To offer another example,

we explored various ways
of alleviating cramps,

including preparing some
natural remedies in school itself.

And we didn't just stop
at involving girls in our campaign.

In fact, boys were equally involved,

and one of our co-team members,

as you saw,

is also a boy.

Through internal conversations

where girls could freely share
their personal experiences

and boys could just ask questions,
no matter how "dumb" they might seem,

our male volunteers quickly
got over their awkwardness,

not just supporting but also leading
educational sessions.

Clearly, starting
an inclusive conversation,

including members of all genders

and listening to
and supporting each other,

can go a long way.

Now, to make our campaign successful,
we conducted extensive research,

interviewed gynecologists,

surveyed people to gauge
public opinion on periods

and conducted a panel discussion
with professionals working in this field.

And then we undertook the journey
to create change.

We organized a stall
at Shilpotsav, a local fair,

where we distributed
sanitary napkin-shaped envelopes

and bookmarks containing
period-positive messages.

We donated hundreds of pads
that we had collected

through a pad donation drive at school.

Interacting with young girls
in government and charitable schools,

we explained periods to them
through a game of hopscotch

and distributed period kits
that we had made ourselves

that consisted of a pad
and other items like a paper soap

and sanitizer for maintaining hygiene,

a piece of dark chocolate
just to lift their mood,

a sachet of ginger tea and so on.

In whatever we did, we strived to think
beyond the norm and break barriers,

be it by creating
a physical period tracker

to help girls without access
to the internet

to record their monthly cycle,

or sensitizing the masses
by performing street plays,

or even developing a video game
called "Crimson Crusade" --

(Laughter)

that introduces both boys and girls

to problems faced
by menstruating women globally

and players progress in the game

by defeating menstrual monsters.

(Laughter)

To sustain this effort,

we've installed 10 sanitary napkin
dispensers in several schools.

Gradually, people's mindsets are changing.

But does change come so easily?

At a school for the underprivileged,

we encountered a girl who had just
got her first period

but wasn't wearing anything
to absorb the flow.

Imagine being her,

sitting in class feeling
embarrassed and uncomfortable,

looking down and seeing red,

asking your parents for help,
asking what was going on with you

and being dismissed.

Imagine the shame, fear and embarrassment
for being "caught" doing something wrong

that forces you into living
in ignorance and silence

at the cost of your health and dignity.

While we do our part,
our endeavors will only be successful

if each one of you internalizes
and spreads onward

the idea that menstruation
is completely normal,

if each one of you conveys this message
to every person you know.

When we can discuss digestion,
blood circulation and respiration --

all natural, biological processes --

why should menstruation be off-limits?

And you, too, can help make it less taboo,

simply by being more open
with male friends and family members,

supporting local
and international organizations

working to improve menstrual
hygiene management,

making menstrual bracelets
with middle school kids in your area

or even by playing Crimson Crusade
with your friends.

Every small steps counts, because
brushing this topic under the carpet

perpetuates lack of access
to sanitary absorbents,

ignorance of menstrual health issues,

school absenteeism, infection
and so much more.

I'd like to end with a few lines
a volunteer wrote for us:

"Let the crimson tide turn.

Let there be waves of positivity,

thundering applause,

villages full of women
who bleed with pride.

Let there be a scent of education

drifting through the oxygen
inhaled by men, women and children.

Let all know the marvels of menstruation

and celebrate Pravahkriti."

Thank you.

(Applause)