Woman runs marathon "openly" during that time of the month

a reply to: Nyiah

You know they do use alternatives. They'd all but have to. In certain situations it could be a life or death thing I would imagine. Out in the wilderness one would want to contain it as much as possible for various reasons.

If we are just talking about them having the same convenience to disposables that we do, they are likely healthier for not having them and using them the way most of us do. I say that in all seriousness. I would like to see statistics for toxic shock syndrome in those places that don't have tampons available willy nilly.

And you are right about the price. It's like anything else here. You can go high end or you can go basic. It sucks to have to buy them when you are on low income, but again... there are nearly free alternatives one can use if they choose. They are not as convenient of course but that is just a fact of life for most anything.

Am I the only one who thinks this is less of a "raising awareness" issue and more of a "oh crap, I forgot to wear a tampon. Oh well I'll just claim I'm raising awareness and continue to run proudly."

And my family always wonders why I think most people are stupid and why I hate society. I'll have to share this one with them next time they ask.

Yes, I see where she is coming from.

I think it is pretty off-putting but the reality is that in many countries and cultures women are considered unclean and second class because they menstruate. This keeps them shackled to the darkened corners of their homes, out of sight and out of mind. This is particularly true in Hindu communities and in Islam.

The thing about protests, it is often the shock tactics that focus the message. We may not like it, but the fact we are discussing it shows how successful it is.

She could have worn black pants.

Nobody wants you see your uterine lining.

a reply to: alishainwonderland

Hmmmm. It's a tough call imo. There could be 2 billion women who are the right age for periods and for so many of them, it's like a dirty secret. For others, like those in India, they risk toxic shock and shame by using unsterilised rags. It's not a fair world is it? How much of the horror and shame ('stigma') has been generated/inflicted by men is for another thread...

If you have time, read this article. It's about what an Indian guy went through to 'invent' affordable pads for women in India.

In a way, the shock, discomfort and/or revulsion created by Kiran Gandhi's run is pointless when held against the problems she was trying to shine a light on. I can understand why men and women feel the horror, but sometimes it takes a strong stance to create attention.

If we take a step back, what exactly has she done that's so shocking? She's shown that women have periods (!!!) and that millions of women don't have access to affordable sanitary pads.

That's horrid. What about about other runners and the rest of the public that are exposed to the blood?

a reply to: Kandinsky

How much of the horror and shame ('stigma') has been generated/inflicted by men is for another thread...

Really , you went there . I suggest you go back through the comments and take note of the female responses . My admiration of mods to be objective just went down a peg , no make that 3 .

a reply to: hutch622

Beyond the hygiene issues, there's a genuine disgust felt by men. Bearing in mind that the world has been patriarchal for 2000 years and more, you shouldn't dismiss the influence of male opinion. I mean, how many women do you know who'll even fart in front of blokes? Sure, you'll say 'plenty,' and I'll say 'not as many as men' and that's that. Why is that?

Male influence has played a part in making 'time of the month' so taboo. Anyway, I've made my points.

a reply to: Kandinsky

I suggest you go back through the comments and take note of the female responses .

a reply to: Kandinsky

I remember when my daughter had her first period , i was at work at the time but was later run through it by my wife . My daughter called my wife home from work , she stayed in her room for 2 days , she felt dirty , maybe ashamed i am not sure . There was absolutely NO , NONE , NADA , male influence on the way she felt . Your line of thinking is redundant .

a reply to: paraphi

This keeps them shackled to the darkened corners of their homes, out of sight and out of mind. This is particularly true in Hindu communities and in Islam.

It's also a part of the Jewish faith.

In fact, women are to be seperated from everyone else and often leave the home during that time of month and go to mikvehs until their menstrual cycle is finished. They are considered impure and unclean during that time, therefore anything they touch or sit on also becomes unclean. I remember when my friend told me about mikvehs (she grew up in Israel), I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

And yes, it's still a known practice in today's world... but even more so with the Hasidic/orthodox jews because they're very strick about following any and all Talmud laws, even in today's modern world.

It's right there in Leviticus, loud and clear about women and "midras".

a reply to: CranialSponge

TextIn fact, women are to be seperated from everyone else and often leave the home during that time of month and go to mikvehs until their menstrual cycle is finished.

You might want to research that statement a little . 0/10 for accuracy .

a reply to: hutch622

Research ?

What do I need to research ?

I know what my girlfriend told me based on her life in Israel. A number of mikvehs have been turned into little spa resorts over the years. It's simply orthodox jewish women who took a patriarchal talmud law and turned it into something they can use to their advantage.

Who wouldn't want a great excuse for a nice little holiday away from the husband for a few days...

I was just surprised that women were still thought of as dirty and unclean in a modern day world, but apparently it's more common than we think.

a reply to: CranialSponge

A mikvah is a pool of water — some of it from a natural source — in which observant married Jewish women are required to dip once a month, seven days after the end of their menstrual cycle. The ocean is a mikvah. A lake can be a mikvah.Nov 1, 2014

Hmmm maybe another word but not mikvah . Like i said , research .

a reply to: hutch622

Uh no, I don't need to research.

I know what mikvehs are, thank you.

The bits and pieces of what you read on the internet with absolutely no real world first-hand experience with orthodox judaism does not give you a full understanding of something, no matter how much you want to believe it does.

Judaism, just like Christianity comes in a wide range of flavours. From the mild jews to the fundamental jews, and everything else in between.

Therefore, they pick and choose which biblical laws to follow and which ones not to... just like Christianity.

a reply to: CranialSponge

You want to link to a mikvah being used in the way you posted or am i to believe your " friend " being the speaker for all things being Jewish .

no real world first-hand experience with orthodox Judaism

Been to one of these mikvahs in Israel then or are we still relying on what your friend said .
www.chabad.org...

www.washingtonpost.com...

en.wikipedia.org...

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: CranialSponge

You want to link to a mikvah being used in the way you posted or am i to believe your " friend " being the speaker for all things being Jewish .

no real world first-hand experience with orthodox Judaism

Been to one of these mikvahs in Israel then or are we still relying on what your friend said .

What part of different types of jewish practices - when, how, where, and why - aren't you understanding ? Like I said, mild jews to fundamental jews and everything inbetween.

Just because you read somewhere that mikvehs are this way or used that way does not mean it applies to all jews, all the same, all the time. Jewish families all have their own traditions on how they choose to practice (or not) Talmud laws.

I have several lifelong jewish friends and they all have their own ways of doing things. Some laugh at the whole mikveh cleansing rituals and some take it to full heart.

I'm not going to sit here and argue with you about what you think you know or what you think I don't know from people I've been around my entire life.

a reply to: CranialSponge

You want to link to a mikvah being used in the way you posted or am i to believe your " friend " being the speaker for all things being Jewish .

Read the links and come back to me when you have something better than a friend to back up your claims .

Hint , LINK .

a reply to: hutch622

Read the links and come back to me when you have something better than a friend to back up your claims .

Hint , LINK .

Come back to me when you've lived 40+ years of your life up close and personal with jewish families... fresh off the boat from Ashkelon and Be'er Sheva.

That is all.

This isn't just about access to products. This is about a cultural difference that equates a woman menstruating with something so dirty and unclean that she is treated horribly:

"I will never let my daughter suffer the way I do when I have my period. My family treats me like an untouchable.
"I'm not allowed into the kitchen, I can't enter the temple, I can't sit with others."
There's a sense of determination in 32-year-old Manju Baluni's voice. I met her in a remote village in Uttarakhand, a hilly state in the north of India.
In India, there is generally a silence around the issue of women's health - especially around menstruation. A deep-rooted taboo feeds into the risible myth-making around menstruation: women are impure, filthy, sick and even cursed during their period.

link

Access to healthy ways of caring for oneself during that inevitable time is very important, as is not feeling like you are somehow evil once a month. The runner is giving the middle finger, so to speak, to the attitudes I've quoted above.

I get being uncomfortable with the pictures, but really, is it that bad? We bleed. It's primal. It's painful. It's about our ability to give life to another human and we deal with it for decades of our lives. Why should a woman ever be made to feel ashamed about that?

peace,
AB