World Menstrual Hygiene Day 2025: When girls are informed, they don’t just manage their periods — they reclaim agency

In communities where silence often shrouds the natural process of menstruation, two young girls—Amina and Rinky (names changed to protect identity) from the suburbs of Indore, Madhya Pradesh — are rewriting the narrative. Their stories reflect how knowledge, compassion, and courage can shatter age-old taboos and pave the way for health, dignity, and confidence among adolescent girls.

Both girls come from modest socio-economic backgrounds, rooted in under-resourced communities where families struggle to make ends meet. Conversations about menstrual health are rare, and the little information that does exist is often steeped in misinformation, stigma, shame and fear. For these girls, menstruation had long been a source of confusion, discomfort, and shame —until they encountered life-changing interventions through local support centres run by AAS (Aim for the Awareness of Society), a local grassroots level organisation supported by CRY — Child Rights and You.

A silent struggle

Fifteen-year-old Amina grew up in a household bound by rigid traditional norms. Her father used to do insecure low-wage odd jobs to run the family, and like many in their community, Amina’s family held deep-seated taboos around menstruation. At home, periods were hardly discussed; instead, girls were subjected to restrictive practices — Amina was not allowed to enter the kitchen, or even speak about her menstrual cycle. The silence was suffocating. She relied on unclean pieces of cloth during her periods, unaware of the health hazards involved. Fearful of being judged, she kept her questions and discomfort to herself.

Rinky, just 13 and studying in the seventh standard, had almost similar experiences. With both parents working as daily wage labourers, financial struggles were a part of life. But so was the invisibility of adolescent health needs. No one explained her about menstruation, and like her mother, she too thought using unclean cloth was the norm. The fear of facing her first period without knowledge loomed large — until she began attending the community resource centre.

Journey to menstrual dignity

Amina’s journey toward empowerment began when she joined the Digital Learning Centre (DLC) during a routine outreach visit. Her initial curiosity quickly blossomed into active participation in computer classes, life skills education, and, most importantly, menstrual hygiene sessions. These sessions came to be her eye-opening moments. For the first time, she was told the truth — that menstruation is a normal, biological process. She learned the basics of hygiene: using sanitary pads, changing them regularly, disposing of them safely, staying clean, and eating the right foods to support her health.

Rinky’s story was no different. Monthly menstrual hygiene sessions organised at the resource centre taught her that it was nothing but a natural process girls of her age were to go through, and there was nothing to be ashamed of it. Despite her young age, she eagerly absorbed every piece of knowledge — what menstruation really is, how to manage it in a hygienic manner, and how to listen to her body’s emotional and physical needs.

Transforming homes, one conversation at a time

Empowerment often begins with awareness—but it gains real power when it challenges norms. Both Amina and Rinky took what they learned at their centres back home, gently questioning long-held beliefs. But winning the home front didn’t happen overnight. Both had to face hard resistance — Amina’s mother was shocked at her daughter’s shift to sanitary pads and initially resisted her openness in discussing periods. In many households like hers, menstrual restrictions were deeply ingrained in culture and reinforced by generations. But Amina held her ground. Over time, and after many rounds of counselling sessions by the field workers of the grassroots organisation, her mother gave in. Conversations started. What began as defiance turned into dialogue — and eventually, change.

Rinky’s transformation sparked similar shifts at her home. Her mother, who had followed traditional practices for years, listened as her daughter explained the risks of cloth usage and the benefits of hygiene. Moved by her confidence and clarity, after a lot of initial scepticism and resistance, her mother made the switch to sanitary pads — a profound behavioural change brought about by a 13-year-old’s determination. In communities where health education rarely trickles upward, this intergenerational shift was a quiet revolution.

Talking periods, changing lives

For both girls, the journey did not stop at personal change. They became role models in their communities. Soon Amina began mentoring younger girls, holding informal sessions on menstrual hygiene, and creating learning tools like posters and charts, just to explain them the basics of menstrual health management. “My message was simple yet powerful,” she recollects. “I told them that menstruation is not a curse — it’s just a sign of strength. By using my own experiences, I created a space where girls felt safe, informed, and inspired to speak up.”

Though younger, Rinky too emerged as a peer influencer in her community. Her calm handling of her first period and the way she educated her mother set an example for her friends. She shared her learnings, encouraged her peers to use sanitary products, and became a quiet but steady voice of reason and confidence in her group.

Ripples of change

What makes Amina’s and Rinky’s stories so impactful is not just their individual courage but the ripple effects of their transformation. Both girls demonstrate that menstrual hygiene education is not merely a health issue — it is a social justice issue as well. When girls are denied information about their own bodies, their confidence erodes. Their absence from school during periods increases. They internalise shame, and the silence perpetuates cycles of misinformation and poor health.

But when girls are informed, they don’t just manage their periods — they reclaim agency. They challenge taboos, educate their families, and become leaders who inspire others. These two girls’ stories illuminate how even the smallest shift — a clean pad, an honest conversation — can spark a much larger movement. They are part of a growing generation of girls who are turning whispered shame into shared knowledge.

When girls talk, taboos fall

These stories from Indore show what’s possible when community-based organisations step in with compassionate, consistent education. It’s also a call to action. There is an urgent need to integrate menstrual health education into school curriculums, train educators to approach the subject without bias, and provide affordable access to sanitary products. But equally important is the creation of safe spaces where girls can ask questions without fear, learn without having the fear to be judged, and grow with support.

Amina and Rinky remind us that change often begins with one girl daring to ask, “Why?” Their heart-warming stories prove that when girls are trusted with knowledge, they don't just improve their own lives — they uplift entire communities.

Soha Moitra is Director of Programmes and Northern Operations, CRY – Child Rights and You

Views expressed are author's own and don't necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth