Meet Menstrupedia: The Comic Books Breaking Stigma in Indian Schools
- eeshasrinivasan7
- Feb 11, 2023
- 2 min read
By: Eesha Srinivasan
(Please note, the below blog post will refer to menstruators as women and girls according to the sources used, but at PFS we support menstruators of all gender identities and know that all women are not menstruators and all menstruators are not women.)
As widespread as period stigma is in the Western world, it’s even worse in more traditional countries, like Malawai, Nepal, Pakistan, and India. In countries like these, the stigma around menstruation and puberty in general is so bad that families won’t even inform their daughters unless absolutely necessary - forget about sex-ed or any form of health class.
However, one Indian company is hoping to provide a solution to this, and frame menstruation and puberty in a way that girls are comfortable with their bodies and feel validated in what they’re going through. Menstrupedia, founded by Aditi Gupta, features a comic book for girls (and most recently boys) health classes, drawn by co-founder Tuhin Paul. In the comics, experiences typical of kids going through puberty are outlined, starting with getting one’s period. Unlike certain Indian households, the girl shown with her period in the comic isn’t isolated, and menstruation is talked about as if in a stigma-free world, the creation of which is probably a goal of the comics.
Although information is given through a medical standpoint and debunking myths to reduce stigma, the comics are told through the lenses of three 9-year old girls (Pinki, Mira, and Jiya) and a doctor (Priya ‘Didi’) to make the information applicable to students and the material covered more normalized.
The only potential downside of the comic would be Mestrupedia’s partnership with Stayfree, a menstrual pad company. While featuring Stayfree pads in the comic would certainly be beneficial to the girls reading it (especially the ones in families who might not see the value of menstrual products), it also presents advertising for a product which may be too costly or seen as too extravagant for some families, no matter how much it may help the women in them.
This is definitely a far cry from a textbook or awkward health class video, and it seems the Menstrupedia comics have been making a significant difference in the Indian schools that choose to use them. Although we in the US may think we’re the most ahead in reducing stigma, Menstrupedia shows us we can always learn from other countries - and that it’s never too late to reform education on menstruation.
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