On May 28th (8th of Khordad) is World Menstrual Hygiene Day; a day designated for educating about menstrual hygiene. The reason for choosing this date is that May is the fifth month of the year and many women experience bleeding for an average of five days each month, and the menstrual cycle is usually 28 days. Therefore, the 28th of May has been chosen as a symbol to bring attention to menstrual hygiene.

Iran is one of the countries where there is no systematic, integrated, and scientific education on menstrual health, whether for girls and women or for any member of society regardless of gender. As a result, many people in the community are caught up in outdated traditions, superstitions, and dangerous practices. Since the issue of menstruation and how to deal with it is similar in India, this article focuses on a short documentary made by an Iranian director in the context of India.

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The short documentary film “Period. End of Sentence.” directed by Rayka Zehtabchi, winner of the 2019 Academy Award for Best Documentary Short, tells an inspiring story of rural women in the Hapur district, 60 kilometers from Delhi, India. These women face deep social and cultural challenges related to menstruation.

This film delicately and boldly unveils taboos that in traditional societies, shame and isolate women regarding their femininity. The film shows how these false beliefs not only harm women’s physical and mental health, but also hinder their progress and equality in society.

A part of the story revolves around a woman named “Siniha” from a village. She decides to create a major change after witnessing the suffering and deprivation of women and girls in the village due to lack of access to sanitary pads and ignorance about menstrual hygiene. With courage and determination, Siniha starts a small workshop with the support of a few people from outside the village, despite facing opposition and wrong traditions. She launches the production of affordable and recyclable sanitary pads. By educating the women in the village to produce and sell this product, she not only provides them with jobs and financial independence, but also takes a crucial step towards breaking the taboos surrounding menstruation.

In a scene from this documentary, the director asks a group of young boys, “Do you know what menstruation is?” One of them responds, “I think it’s an illness, usually affecting women.” In another scene, when the director asks the husband of a woman working in a factory what his wife’s job is, he replies, “I’m not sure, I think she makes diapers.” Later, the woman reveals that her husband knows what she does, but they never talk about it. These scenes show how women in such societies are alone and struggling against tradition, culture, and a patriarchal system.

In a part of the film, we also see Arunachalam Muruganantham, known as “Padman”. Arunachalam Muruganantham, who is also the subject of the film “Padman”, is an inventor of low-cost sanitary pad making machines in India, which are also used by women in the Harpur region. He says, “Girls talk to their mothers about this; women do not talk to their husbands about it, friends do not talk to each other about it; menstruation is the biggest taboo in my country.” His machines are now being used in 23 states and he plans to expand to 106 countries.

“Period. End of Sentence.” By portraying the efforts of the women of Hapur, this film conveys a powerful and inspiring message to the Iranian audience. It shows how with education and reliance on the power of women, we can take steps towards overcoming cultural and social barriers and getting closer to gender equality.

The film, with an intimate tone and an intriguing story, takes the audience on a journey and allows them to connect with the challenges and experiences of women in the village of Haapur. The characters of Seniha and other rural women, as strong, brave, and determined women, serve as a reminder of Iranian women and their recent efforts, inspiring the audience to overcome obstacles and strive towards their goals. Despite its focus on a story in India, this film has a universal message and can connect with audiences from any part of the world.

After its release, the film was met with widespread acclaim from critics and audiences around the world and was recognized as an inspiring and influential work in the field of gender equality. “Period. End of Sentence.” also helped raise awareness about the challenges women face regarding menstruation and the need to break taboos surrounding it.

A film from India, directed by an Iranian-born director.

Raika Zehatabchi, born in 1373 in Los Angeles, is an Iranian-American director and documentary filmmaker. She studied film and English literature at the University of California, Berkeley and began her career in filmmaking in 2014. Before “Period. End of Sentence.”, Zehatabchi has directed other works, including a short film called “Mothers” – which tells the story of an Iranian woman who decides to forgive her son after he murders her husband – and another short documentary called “We Are Home” – which follows the journey of refugees trying to find a new home in America. Her work often focuses on social issues, particularly those related to women and the Iranian diaspora. With grace and candor, she tackles topics that are rarely discussed in traditional societies.

In addition to winning the Oscar for Best Short Documentary in 2019, this film has also received 13 other awards from various festivals so far.

Rika Zohatabchi, at the beginning of her speech at the Oscars award ceremony, while she couldn’t hold back her tears, said: “I can’t believe that a film about menstruation just won an Oscar.” This statement shows that even in the most modern and advanced world, talking and addressing an issue that half of the world’s population deals with monthly is still considered a new issue.

His speech and Melissa Burton’s, another producer of the film, received a lot of attention from media and audiences around the world due to its bold tone and powerful message.

The importance of film for Iranian audiences.

This film is important for Iranian audiences in various ways. Firstly, because of the shared culture and beliefs about menstruation, Iranian women can relate to the challenges faced by the women in the film. Secondly, the film “Period. End of Sentence.” can inspire Iranian women to overcome cultural and social barriers and strive for gender equality. Thirdly, this film can help increase awareness about the importance of menstrual hygiene education and breaking taboos surrounding it in Iranian society.

In many cases, the situation of rural women in India can be compared to the situation of rural women in Iran. Iranian women in rural areas also do not have access to menstrual hygiene products and other hygiene products due to poverty and lack of awareness. Lack of knowledge about menstrual hygiene is common among young Iranian girls. This can lead to infections and serious health problems. There are also many false beliefs and cultural taboos surrounding menstruation in Iran. These beliefs cause women, girls, and the entire community to feel ashamed to talk about menstruation, which only worsens their problems.

In both countries, due to cultural issues and educational infrastructure, there is no official, integrated, scientific, and universal educational content for teaching about menstrual hygiene to girls, boys, and families. For many men, life after their first marriage is their first serious dream with this issue.

In recent years, we have witnessed an increase in civil activities to break menstrual taboos and raise awareness about menstrual hygiene, both in Iran and India. Non-governmental organizations, activists, and women are now taking more actions in this regard on social media and within the community.

Watching this documentary “Period. End of Sentence.” with small and diverse groups in Iranian society can help increase awareness about the challenges women face regarding menstruation and the need to break associated taboos. This film can also be used as a tool for education and discussion about this important topic.

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Perhaps it is our duty to see what steps we can take in our family life, educational space, extended family, our community, and changing laws to break the taboo of menstruation and bring Malala Yousafzai’s final sentence in her Oscar speech closer to reality: “Menstruation should end a sentence, not end girls’ education.”

Notes:

1- The word “period” in English also means a dot at the end of a sentence.