Understanding Nuances of Menstrual Experiences of Adolescent Girls in Haryana, India

Abstract

Menstruation is a normal physiological process that occurs in adolescent girls, but it is often shrouded in taboo and stigma in Indian society. Socio-cultural norms and restrictions imposed by families and society can lead to ignorance and lack of access to accurate information and hygienic practices, which can negatively impact women’s physical and mental health throughout their lives. This study seeks to understand adolescent girls’ knowledge and awareness regarding menstruation, including their source of information, changes in their behavior and routine during their menstrual period, socio-cultural beliefs and norms they follow, and the impact of menstruation on their lives. This study was conducted in the state of Haryana, located in northwest India, in 2013. The sample consisted of 376 rural adolescent school-going girls. The study employed a mix-methods approach, using a self-administered structured close-ended questionnaire survey and semi-structured in-depth interviews as the data collection method. In order to enrich the study, additional data were collected through interviews with university-level girl students in 2016. And, further in 2022, during my PhD fieldwork, I got opportunity to discuss informally on the issue with the women in rural areas of the same region. The results found a lot of challenges for menstrual women which impact women’s physical and mental health. The enforcement of a lot of restrictions on the menstrual body makes them feel inferior and create hurdles in women’s growth and capabilities.

Citation

Rani, S. (2023), "Understanding Nuances of Menstrual Experiences of Adolescent Girls in Haryana, India", Isidório, M.S. and Bass, L.E. (Ed.) The Social Construction of Adolescence in Contemporaneity (Sociological Studies of Children and Youth, Vol. 31), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 147-160. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1537-466120230000031010