Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment, indian, Menstrupedia, period

Indian Comic 'Menstrupedia' Launches, Aims To Educate 3 Million Girls

Wife and husband, Aditi Gupta and Tuhin Paul are two communication strategists who have chosen to quit their jobs to address the myths and taboos in Indian society regarding menstruation, by creating a comic book aimed at 9-14 year old girls. Menstrupedia tells a story that swerved between facts and information, as part of a discussion set around family and friends, and the experiences of both children and parents.

Aditi tells Blouin Art Info that when she had her first period, aged 12, she "was told to keep it a secret even from my father and brother as if it was an unspeakable sin. I was not allowed to sit on the sofa or other family members' bed. I was asked to wash my bedsheet after every period cycle even when it wasn't stained. I was considered impure and prohibited from worshipping or attending social gatherings.And, this is not just my story, it's the story of millions of girls who bear their suffering in silence. This kind of behavior is humiliating and damages the self-esteem and confidence of a young girl in her early formative years."

In a country in which only 12 percent of menstruating women use sanitary pads, the rest use use unsanitized cloth, ashes and husk sand, which rapidly increase the chances of infection. Alti admist that "she could not use a sanitary pad for very long despite being able to afford it because of the shame associated with buying one". Tuhin admits he knew nothing outside of biology books until he met Aditi as the subject was taoo in his house.

In a country whatever education school provide, often lacking in detail and relevance, waits until two years after many girls get their first period, and in some rural areas which 9 out of 10 girls are unaware or periods at all by the time they first have one, the pair have decided to address this by appealing to them in as child-friendly a way as possible. Which means comics.

The aim is to portray menstruation as a positive, natural process, in the context of puberty, life, lifestyle, supportive friends and family. The comic was initially produced in a limited run to test its appeal and appropriateness amongst children, parents and teachers., as well as launching an accompanying website that previews the comic, Mestrupedia.com. It now received 100,000 visitors a month, the comic is now part of the curriculum of twenty schools across India, and is looking to grow fast, to educate 3 million girls in the next three years.

Oh and guess what. It's also picking up readers in the US and UK. You can read the first chapter in English, here.

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