Claiming the public sphere: Menstrual taboos and the rising dissent in India

abstract

The stigma of ‘purity and pollution’ that is associated with the menstruation of women is deeply embedded in the Indian culture and curtails women’s freedom of movement, the right to education and the right to worship. Feminists and legal activists have questioned the widespread practices of menstrual taboos and the need to place limits on menstruating women’s entry to places of worship and the public sphere. The activism around menstruation that has recently erupted has resulted in protests and legal challenges which seek to reaffirm women’s right to control their own bodies and for their monthly menstruation to be free from social and religious practices which in effect involve segregation, exclusion and often humiliation.

keywords:

• menstrual taboo
• religion
• women’s rights
• India

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chitra Karunakaran Prasanna

CHITRA KARUNAKARAN PRASANNA completed her doctoral studies in Social Work from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India. She has more than five years of experience in the voluntary sector in research and participatory action research in addition to three years of teaching experience in Social Work. Currently she is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Social Work, Central University of Tamil Nadu in the state of Tamil Nadu, India, where she teaches social policy and legislation, research and community development. Her interest areas are environment and development, gender and development, marginalisation and development, social policy and human rights.