Understand Why Menstruation Is So Important in the Congo
“Getting your period in the Congo means that you are unclean for the next week and strips you of feelings of security, privacy, and identity.”
That Time of The Month
is a natural occurrence for about 800 million women in the world, yet in the Congo, it not something that should be mentioned. Not only is it considered embarrassing and impolite, but it also as unholy and taboo. This stigma has led to generations of unsafe sanitary and social practices, false education, and dangerous infections for the millions of girls in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Your First Period Means
you are no longer a child in the eyes of the village, but a grown woman who is ready to get married, have kids, stop education, and become a housewife. This is an accepted social norm as a young girl, which encourages 12 and 15 year olds to marry 60 and 70 year old men. Getting your period is a beacon signaling that you are ready to belong to another man, making the number of child brides in the Congo top 19 in the world. A shocking 37% of women are married before they turn 18.
Furthermore, Your Daily Life
is affected the most. When girls get their period each month, they are no longer allowed to cook meals for the family, go to school, use communal water wells or bathrooms, touch men, or even go to church. This instills a deep fear and doubt about something that happens to every woman, in the hearts and minds of adolescent girls, making it impossible to reach out with questions, or even ask for sanitary products.
“I felt ashamed and I was in fear to talk with anyone about my menstruation because they would think that I was involved in a sexual relationship.”