Arushi Dua, a 20-year-old law student from New Delhi has been working towards removing the taboo revolving around menstruation. Her latest effort in bringing about social change is an open letter to the co-founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, in which she asks him to add an “on my period” button to Facebook’s extensive list of feelings and activities available for users to share.
In her letter, Dua implores Zuckerberg to add the button on Facebook, to create a feeling of normality around menstruation. She explains, “others who are reading the posts will develop a level of comfort and realise that it is indeed not a big deal. This will hopefully lead to a change in the mindset of people and eventually myths floating all around will settle down.”
Dua explains that due to the taboo, people aren’t comfortable talking about menstruation, which is why there is a dire need for change in the way society perceives the subject. “I tried initiating discourse around the subject on campus and amongst friends, but nothing concrete came out of it,” Dua told BuzzFeed. “This is exactly why I requested the feature on Facebook.”
In an attempt to remove the stigma around menstruation in India and elsewhere, Dua discusses the problems women face in their daily lives when they are menstruating. From purchasing a sanitary napkin, to skipping school, the taboo is taking a toll on the lifestyle of women.
Dua stresses on the fact that the new feature will create “a healthy space where women can be confident about their periods.”
A convincing argument, but will Zuckerberg pay heed to Dua’s request?
