Menstruation+in+Bangladesh

media type="custom" key="26907560" align="center"

toc =Bangladesh= **State Religion:** Islam, but the country is secular. 90.4% Muslim. 8.1% Hindu.
 * Ethnic Group:** 98% Bengali

**Menstruation in Rural Bangladesh**
In Mymensingh, Bangladesh, younger girls call menstruation "mashik" because it happens monthly. The older women call menstruation "shorir kharap," which means "health problems." Most girls hesitate when their first menstruation begins, as it's not frequently discussed.

You can see examples and explanations of menstrual practices in rural Bangladesh in this video from Mymensingh: media type="youtube" key="XWKW9pxWYDI" width="560" height="315" align="center"

=** General Menstruation Practices **= While there are many traditions, norms, and practices surrounding menstruation across Bangladesh, there are some very general cultural norms and expectations. Generally speaking, women are prevented from carrying out their faith while they're menstruating, as praying or reading the Koran is seen as disrespectful and looked upon with shame (SOS Children’s Village, 2014). Some girls and women are barred from preparing food, working on rice fields, or sharing a bed with their partner, (SOS Children’s Village, 2014). Even though some women are still allowed to share a bed with their partner, sex is forbidden (Openshaw, 2002).

Many Bangladeshis believe that if a man walks past menstrual rags or sees menstrual blood, misfortune will befall him. (Seymour, 2008). In parts of Bangladesh, to both prevent men's misfortune and to banish evil spirits, women must bury their menstrual cloths (WaterAid UK). Unfortunately, t here are not many safe places for girls and women to purchase cloth or pads or to change or dispose of them (WSSCC, 2013). Socioeconomic status impacts people's access to sanitary napkins, as they cost $1 per packet (Phulki, 2013).

80% of factory workers in Bangladesh are women, and due to barriers to access to menstrual products, 60% of the women working in the factories were using rags from the factory floor for menstrual cloths. The rags on the factory floor are often full of chemicals and fresh dye, and when used on the genitals, the women become very susceptible to infection. Infections are common, leading to 73% of women missing work for on average six days a month. This is an enormous economic hardship considering that women are paid by each garment they produce. (WSSCC, 2013)



** The Impact of Menstruation **
The addition of separate girls’ bathrooms in schools proved to increase girls’ enrollment by 11% (WSSCC, 2013). Though, while 73% of schools offered separate latrines for boys and girls, over half of these facilities were found to be in such poor condition that they were deemed unusable (WASH United). 1 in 5 schools provide soap for the students, and almost no schools offer menstrual hygiene products or facilities for their disposal (WASH United). When girls are missing school and women are missing work, there is a massive economic impact. Inadequate sanitation for women and girls costs an estimated $21,750,000 due to health costs and absence from school and work. (World Bank, 2012)

=**References **= Menstrual Hygiene Day. (n.d.) Retrieved from  [] Openshaw, J. (2002). Seeking Bauls of Bengal. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Phulki. (n.d.). Retrieved from[| http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/addressing-feminine-hygiene-in-dhaka/] Seymour, K. (2008). Bangladesh; Tackling menstrual hygiene taboos; Sanitation and hygiene case study no 10. UNICEF Bangladesh. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/wash/files/10_case_study_BANGLADESH_4web.pdf SOS Children’s Village. (2014). Retrieved from  [] Sustainable Sanitation and Water Management. (2013). Retrieved from  [] WaterAid UK. (n.d.). Retrieved from  [] Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC). (2012). Retrieved from[| http://www.wsscc.org/media/vital-statistics] WASH United. Retrieved from[| http://www.wash-united.org/files/wash-united/media%20materials/facts_menstrual_hygiene.pdf] World Bank. (2012). Economic impacts of sanitation, Bangladesh.