On the World Menstrual Hygiene Day, Ujaas, an initiative by the Aditya Birla Education Trust, organised a flash mob at Bandra station on May 27. It collaborated with Saniya MQ, a young rapper and student at Acharya Marathe College in Chembur aiming to spread awareness about menstrual health through her rap song, "Ye Laal Rang - Periods."
“Menstrual health affects millions of women but is often surrounded by stigma and misinformation. Through my rap, I hope to reach young people and start honest conversations about periods,” Saniya said.
According to the Menstrual Health Alliance India, every month, 25% of girls who menstruate in India miss school because of their period. About 30% of girls hadn’t heard about menstruation before they started menstruating.
When asked why she chose rap as a medium to spread awareness, she explained, “Rap combines entertainment and education. People often don't listen to plain talk, but with rap, they might pay attention.”
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Saniya gathered data on menstrual health from Ujaas health experts. During her research, she found that many people, both men and women, are unaware of many facts about periods. “In schools, period talks are often for girls only, leaving boys uninformed. It is important to educate everyone,” she said.
She shared an example from Mumbai where some men think girls use sanitary pads because they can't use washrooms everywhere. “They didn't know about periods,” she said.
She questioned, “If a single father has a daughter and doesn't know about periods, how will he help her?”
According to a recent study by the National Library of Medicine, 50% of girls follow unsanitary menstrual health management in low income households.
Saniya also noted that many girls only know about sanitary pads. “I didn't know about tampons and menstrual cups until I was an adult,” she admitted.
Talking about social media, she said it is a wide-reaching platform. “Through my raps, I hope to make an impact and get people to talk about periods openly,” she said.
She believes that the right education about menstrual health should start in school.
