Meghan Markle has addressed the "stigma" in India surrounding menstruation.
The 35-year-old actress and philanthropist – the girlfriend of Prince Harry – visited the South Asian country with the charity World Vision Canada in January, and in a new essay she has raised awareness of how teenage girls are missing school because they are too "embarrassed" to
go in when they are on their periods, the result of being uneducated and being forced to use rags in stead of proper sanitary towels.
Speaking in the piece published by TIME magazine about the taboo topic and the experiences she had meeting youngster over there, she wrote: "113 million adolescent girls between the ages of 12 to 15 in India
alone are at risk of dropping out of school because of the stigma surrounding menstrual health.
"During my time in the field, many girls shared that they feel embarrassed to go to school during their periods, ill equipped with rags instead of pads, unable to participate in sports, and without bathrooms available to care for themselves, they often opt to drop out
of school entirely."
The ‘Suits’ star has called for proper education and for the people of India to be encouraged to speak up on the matter as the youths have been misinformed that they are being "injured" every month when they come on their periods.
She continued: "Many girls believe their bodies are purging evil spirits, or that they are injured once a month; this is a shame-filled reality they quietly endure."
The brunette beauty used her time there to witness local women putting their skills to use to make proper pads for those living in some of Indian’s poorest areas.
Seeing their work has made her realise there are two important factors going forward, providing education, encouraging open discussion on the issue and providing proper menstrual hygiene products in all areas of
the world to prevent pupils leaving school and missing opportunities.
She concluded: "Beyond India, in communities all over the globe, young girls’ potential is being squandered because we are too shy to talk about the most natural thing in the world.
"To say: we need to push the conversation, mobilise health
initiatives, support organisations who foster girls’ education from the ground up, and within our own homes, we need to rise above our puritanical bashfulness when it comes to talking about menstruation."
Megan Markle addresses menstruation stigma
