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We learnt the Pythagorean theorem.
We labelled the heart and lungs.
But when it came to periods…
Silence. Giggles. A code word passed like contraband.

Remember the day your school had a "special class" -  only for the girls?

A whisper of a whisper:
"Shhh… sanitary pad ka session hai."

The boys were told to wait outside.
The teacher came in with a brown paper envelope and an even tighter expression.
One or two girls asked questions — only to be met with hurried answers or a warning glance.

Even the word "menstruation" felt like a secret.
We didn’t say it. We implied it.
We said, "I’m down", "It’s that time", or just silently slipped a pad up our sleeves on the way to the washroom.

But here’s the truth nobody taught us - and we’re paying the price for it:

·         23 million girls in India drop out of school every year due to the lack of menstrual hygiene awareness and access.

·          71% of adolescent girls in India have no idea what menstruation is when they get their first period.

·         Only 18% of Indian women have access to sanitary pads. The rest rely on cloth, ashes, husk, or worse.

·         In many government schools, menstrual education is treated as a “non-essential” topic, often skipped entirely due to teacher discomfort or lack of training.

·         Even in 2025, in some parts of rural India, menstruating girls are still banished to outdoor huts, unable to enter kitchens, temples, or even their homes.

All of this - because we were taught to hide instead of understand.

At Pakhi, we’re rewriting that curriculum.

We’re saying the word period out loud

·         Without shame

·         Without censorship

·         Without euphemisms like “that time of the month”

Because:

·         Education without inclusion is incomplete.

·         Biology without dignity is just data.

·         Menstruation is not a scandal - it’s science.

And when we educate without empathy, we leave millions behind.

Here's what we believe the new curriculum should look like:

·         Period education should start before the first period, not after.

·         Boys should be in the room, not outside it.

·         Menstrual products should be available in school bathrooms - not in the principal’s drawer “on request.”

·         Teachers should be trained to talk about menstrual health as confidently as they talk about digestion.

·         And most importantly, girls should feel proud, not punished, for growing into womanhood.

We owe the next generation better than awkward silences and outdated leaflets. Let’s give menstruation a seat at the table. In science class. In staff rooms. In boardrooms.
Not just in whispers, but in honest, empowering conversations.

Because when we normalise period talk, we unlock access, dignity, and opportunity for millions.

Let’s change the curriculum
One bold post,
One school,
One student at a time.