Pakhi Akhtar, an 18-year-old living in the flood-prone Gaibandha district, came to know about her aunt's uterine cancer a few days ago.
Her elder sister, who was married off at the age of 14, has also been suffering from vaginal inflammation and itching for the last three months.
Besides, Pakhi herself has also been suffering from vaginal irritation for over five months now.
Living in a flood-affected coastal area, hundreds of women in Fulchari union of Gaibandha develop vaginal irritations or diseases because of polluted water and unhygienic period products.
‘Discomfort'
These women are not alone in their struggle against feminine health challenges in this country, where even speaking about menstruation is frowned upon.
Period or menstruation is natural and an important part of a woman's reproductive health. But if personal hygiene is ignored it can easily become a health risk.
Menstrual Hygiene Day is an annual awareness day observed on May 28 to highlight the importance of good menstrual hygiene management at a global level.
The majority of women who need help shy away from discussing their problems, because of the social stigma around their bodies.
According to a survey conducted by the International Agency for Research on Cancer in 2018, more than 6,500 women die of cervical cancer in Bangladesh every year.
It was found that 98% of the women suffering from the disease lacked proper knowledge of personal and vaginal hygiene.
Pakhi was asked if she or any of her family members had ever been to a clinic for treatment, to which she replied they did not feel comfortable discussing the matter, as the local clinic only had a male health worker.
Dhaka Tribune“My sister's vaginal irritation has worsened. She complains about itching and rash, and says her vagina has swollen.”
She finished all the work and lay down under a fan when the men of the house were out, so that the burning sensation could be kept at bay for a while, she added.
She said her sister or any of the women in her family could not talk to their spouses or parents about their feminine issues.
‘Pad Apa', the pioneer
Selima Akhter, whom locals fondly refer to as “Pad Apa”, is a differently-abled person, who sells pads and hygiene products to the women in need in Mollarchar and Fulchari unions of Gaibandha.
“They call me Pad Apa,” said the 40-year-old smilingly.
“They think of me as a nurse. One day Pakhi came and told me about her and her sister's problem. The only solution I could give them was to use pads instead of rags when they were on their periods,” she told Dhaka Tribune.
She added that women and teenagers in the district and other places were hesitant to dry the rags they used during menstruation, because of social taboo.
“The rags do not dry well, causing irritation in their private parts. They also use ash and water to remove blood from the clothes or rags, which is harmful,” Selima said.
Most people in the area live below the poverty line, so even a pad that costs Tk10 is considered a luxury.
Against all odds
Selima has been serving the women of the district for over three years.
Having experienced a similar miserable post-menstrual syndrome, she took the initiative to help others.
Dhaka TribuneHer left eye was damaged by an injury after marriage. She has been facing the contempt of her family since then.
In 2018, World Vision Bangladesh trained some men and women in Gaibandha, and her journey started from there.
On her first day she bought only 10 packets of sanitary pads or napkins, some innerwear and cleaning supplies for women to use during menstruation.
She told Dhaka Tribune that she had never thought she would ever be able to break the taboo surrounding periods and go door to door to inform women and men about menstrual health and provide necessary supplies.
What do women use during menstruation?
Dhaka Tribune spoke to around 40 women and adolescents in the two unions who said they did not know how to use a sanitary pad.
They said they usually used rags or pieces of clothes while on period and washed it in polluted flood water for reuse.
They also reported using the same rags over and over for years.
According to the 2018 National Hygiene Survey, 71% of Bangladeshi women do not use disposable pads, and 86% use old clothes and rags.
The women reported that the main reason for this was that clothes and rags were readily available at home and did not cost anything.
A lower-income community in the area reported using jute sacks with sand during menstruation until they rotted.
Project SHOMOTA, funded by the Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and World Vision Bangladesh, developed Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) group, which is working to make locals aware of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH).
“Our target is to empower women and people with disabilities,” said Proshanto Ranjan Sharma Roy, project manager at SHOMOTA.
The campaigners said 54% of women and girls in the area were now participating in menstrual health and hygiene activities, many as a precautionary measure against uterine cancer and vaginal irritation.
