While headlining a gig for state-sanctioned Polish TV channel TVP's 'New Year's of Dreams' show, all four members of Black Eyed Peas showed solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community by wearing rainbow armbands. Their action stirred major controversy in the region.

As Apl.de.ap, J. Rey Soul, Taboo and Will.i.am showed their support for the community during the broadcast on the Polish territory, some anti-gay activists caused a commotion and later, Poland's Law and Justice Party (PiS), which is in power at the moment, expressed their indignation at the music group's accessories. For those unaware, the Polish political party has very strong anti-LGBT views and policies.

A member of PiS, Marcin Warchol, took to Twitter and wrote, "LGBT promotion in TVP2. DISGRACE! It’s not a New Year’s Eve of Dreams but a New Year’s Eve of Deviance."

Addressing the backlash online, Will.i.am tweeted, "#WHEREStheLOVE??? Unity, tolerance, understanding, oneness, respect, diversity &amp; inclusion… THAT'S LOVE…people are people &amp; we should all practice to honour &amp; love all the different types of people on earth &amp; learn from them… I LOVE YOU your country… (sic)"

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WHEREStheLOVE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WHEREStheLOVE</a>??? 
Unity, tolerance, understanding, oneness, respect, diversity &amp; inclusion…THATS LOVE…people are people &amp; we should all practice to honor &amp; love all the different types of people on earth &amp; learn from them…I LOVE YOU your country… <a href="https://t.co/P2MmKewLwV">https://t.co/P2MmKewLwV</a>
— will.i.am (@iamwill) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamwill/status/1609309083282116609?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/drake-shares-footage-from-july-swedish-detainment-for-the-first-time-video-548655">Drake shares footage from July Swedish detainment for the first time| Video</a>

Last week, Spice Girls singer Melanie Chisholm, known as Mel C, pulled out of the gig over "issues&nbsp;against communities" she supports. The singer confirmed the news in a statement posted on social media.

"In light of some issues that have been brought to my attention, that do not align with the communities I support, I’m afraid I will no longer be able to perform in Poland as planned on New Year’s Eve," Mel C shared in the statement.

Even though Mel C didn’t elaborate on what particular issue forced her to break ties with the gig, many have presumed, in the light of the latest events, that&nbsp;she was&nbsp;talking about the LGBTQ+ community.

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While headlining a gig for state-sanctioned Polish TV channel TVP's 'New Year's of Dreams' show, all four members of Black Eyed Peas showed solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community by wearing rainbow armbands.

While headlining a gig for state-sanctioned Polish TV channel TVP's 'New Year's of Dreams' show, all four members of Black Eyed Peas showed solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community by wearing rainbow armbands. Their action stirred major controversy in the region. As Apl.de.ap, J. Rey Soul, Taboo and Will.i.am showed their support for the community during the broadcast on the Polish territory, some anti-gay activists caused a commotion and later, Poland's Law and Justice Party (PiS), which is in power at the moment, expressed their indignation at the music group's accessories. For those unaware, the Polish political party has very strong anti-LGBT views and policies. A member of PiS, Marcin Warchol, took to Twitter and wrote, "LGBT promotion in TVP2. DISGRACE! It’s not a New Year’s Eve of Dreams but a New Year’s Eve of Deviance." Addressing the backlash online, Will.i.am tweeted, "#WHEREStheLOVE??? Unity, tolerance, understanding, oneness, respect, diversity & inclusion… THAT'S LOVE…people are people & we should all practice to honour & love all the different types of people on earth & learn from them… I LOVE YOU your country… (sic)" #WHEREStheLOVE??? Unity, tolerance, understanding, oneness, respect, diversity & inclusion…THATS LOVE…people are people & we should all practice to honor & love all the different types of people on earth & learn from them…I LOVE YOU your country… https://t.co/P2MmKewLwV — will.i.am (@iamwill) December 31, 2022 Also read: Drake shares footage from July Swedish detainment for the first time| Video Last week, Spice Girls singer Melanie Chisholm, known as Mel C, pulled out of the gig over "issues against communities" she supports. The singer confirmed the news in a statement posted on social media. "In light of some issues that have been brought to my attention, that do not align with the communities I support, I’m afraid I will no longer be able to perform in Poland as planned on New Year’s Eve," Mel C shared in the statement. Even though Mel C didn’t elaborate on what particular issue forced her to break ties with the gig, many have presumed, in the light of the latest events, that she was talking about the LGBTQ+ community. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Black Eyed Peas don rainbow bands to show solidarity with LGBTQ+ community on NYE Poland show

One of France's most prominent political commentators is facing a criminal investigation after being accused of the sexual abuse of his stepson, in the latest taboo-breaking scandal to rock the French intellectual elite.

Olivier Duhamel, 70, who has described the incest allegations as "personal attacks", is accused in a new book, written by his stepdaughter Camille Kouchner, of abusing her twin brother when they were aged 14.

Paris prosecutors said Tuesday they were opening an investigation into Duhamel over suspected rape and sexual abuse of a minor by a person in authority. He has stepped down from all his media and academic posts amid the furore.

The book "La Familia grande", which is due to be published on Thursday, has shocked French intellectual circles given Duhamel's prominence and close connections to the elite.

While many commentators have cast France as being slow to break longstanding taboos over the abuse of minors, this is not the first such controversy to make headlines over the last year.

Publisher Vanessa Springora, in a book published in January 2020, accused prize-winning writer Gabriel Matzneff of abusing her while she was a minor. Film star Adele Haenel in November 2019 accused director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her when she was in her early teens.

Haenel and other French actresses also in February last year walked out of France's Cesar awards after filmmaker Roman Polanski -- wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977 –- won best director.

'I knew and said nothing'

Duhamel said on Twitter that he was resigning from all his posts following the allegations, including as head of the National Foundation of Political Sciences (FNSP), a body that oversees the hugely prestigious Sciences Po university.

"I am stepping down from my posts after being the target of personal attacks as I want to preserve the institutions in which I work," said Duhamel, who also until now presented a show on Europe 1 radio and is an analyst on LCI TV.

Camille Kouchner, now 45 and a lecturer, and her twin brother are the children of France's former foreign minister and co-founder of the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) medical charity Bernard Kouchner and academic Evelyne Pisier, who died in 2017.

Kouchner and Pisier separated and she went on to marry Duhamel.

"I was 14 years old and let it go ahead. I was 14, I knew and said nothing," Camille Kouchner wrote in the book.

In the book, she names her brother only as "Victor" in order to protect his privacy. But Le Monde daily said he had read the text twice and was happy for his sister to speak on his behalf.

"I confirm that what my sister has written concerning the actions of Olivier Duhamel towards me is correct," "Victor" told Le Monde, without commenting further.

'Heavy secret'

In an interview with L'Obs magazine, Kouchner said the book revealed to what extent Duhamel's and Pisier's group of leftist intellectual friends, some of them household names in France, knew what was going on.

"Of course, I thought my book might seem obscene because of my family's fame. Then I thought to myself, this is exactly what needs to be done," she said.

In the book, she alleges a de-facto omerta had protected her stepfather from the truth being widely known.

"Very quickly, the people in power, Saint-Germain-des-Pres (the traditional hub in Paris for leftist thinkers) were aware. Many knew and most acted as if nothing had happened."

The book says that after his mother's death, "Victor" told his father Bernard Kouchner about what had happened. He pledged to confront Duhamel but was persuaded against doing so by Camille herself, on the grounds "Victor" wanted the family to move on.

In a statement released by his lawyer, Bernard Kouchner said that a "heavy secret that has been weighing on us for too long has happily been lifted. I applaud the courage of my daughter Camille".

One of France's most prominent political commentators is facing a criminal investigation after being accused of the sexual abuse of his stepson, in the latest taboo-breaking scandal to rock the French intellectual elite.

One of France's most prominent political commentators is facing a criminal investigation after being accused of the sexual abuse of his stepson, in the latest taboo-breaking scandal to rock the French intellectual elite. Olivier Duhamel, 70, who has described the incest allegations as "personal attacks", is accused in a new book, written by his stepdaughter Camille Kouchner, of abusing her twin brother when they were aged 14. Paris prosecutors said Tuesday they were opening an investigation into Duhamel over suspected rape and sexual abuse of a minor by a person in authority. He has stepped down from all his media and academic posts amid the furore. The book "La Familia grande", which is due to be published on Thursday, has shocked French intellectual circles given Duhamel's prominence and close connections to the elite. While many commentators have cast France as being slow to break longstanding taboos over the abuse of minors, this is not the first such controversy to make headlines over the last year. Publisher Vanessa Springora, in a book published in January 2020, accused prize-winning writer Gabriel Matzneff of abusing her while she was a minor. Film star Adele Haenel in November 2019 accused director Christophe Ruggia of sexually harassing her when she was in her early teens. Haenel and other French actresses also in February last year walked out of France's Cesar awards after filmmaker Roman Polanski -- wanted in the US for the statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977 –- won best director. 'I knew and said nothing' Duhamel said on Twitter that he was resigning from all his posts following the allegations, including as head of the National Foundation of Political Sciences (FNSP), a body that oversees the hugely prestigious Sciences Po university. "I am stepping down from my posts after being the target of personal attacks as I want to preserve the institutions in which I work," said Duhamel, who also until now presented a show on Europe 1 radio and is an analyst on LCI TV. Camille Kouchner, now 45 and a lecturer, and her twin brother are the children of France's former foreign minister and co-founder of the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) medical charity Bernard Kouchner and academic Evelyne Pisier, who died in 2017. Kouchner and Pisier separated and she went on to marry Duhamel. "I was 14 years old and let it go ahead. I was 14, I knew and said nothing," Camille Kouchner wrote in the book. In the book, she names her brother only as "Victor" in order to protect his privacy. But Le Monde daily said he had read the text twice and was happy for his sister to speak on his behalf. "I confirm that what my sister has written concerning the actions of Olivier Duhamel towards me is correct," "Victor" told Le Monde, without commenting further. 'Heavy secret' In an interview with L'Obs magazine, Kouchner said the book revealed to what extent Duhamel's and Pisier's group of leftist intellectual friends, some of them household names in France, knew what was going on. "Of course, I thought my book might seem obscene because of my family's fame. Then I thought to myself, this is exactly what needs to be done," she said. In the book, she alleges a de-facto omerta had protected her stepfather from the truth being widely known. "Very quickly, the people in power, Saint-Germain-des-Pres (the traditional hub in Paris for leftist thinkers) were aware. Many knew and most acted as if nothing had happened." The book says that after his mother's death, "Victor" told his father Bernard Kouchner about what had happened. He pledged to confront Duhamel but was persuaded against doing so by Camille herself, on the grounds "Victor" wanted the family to move on. In a statement released by his lawyer, Bernard Kouchner said that a "heavy secret that has been weighing on us for too long has happily been lifted. I applaud the courage of my daughter Camille".

French political expert accused of incest in new taboo-breaking scandal

A growing number of South Korean women are training to be morticians, a field from which they had long been excluded, amid changing views on gender roles and a rising preference for women’s bodies to be handled by women.

With recent deaths of female celebrities and prominent figures, as well as growing scrutiny of sex crimes against women, gender sensitivity is changing the way families of the deceased bid farewell to their grandmothers, mothers and daughters.

“I felt uncomfortable when my classmates of a different sex touched my body, even when I was fully dressed,” said Park Se-jung, 19, who is in her second year of funeral directing studies. “I sure wouldn’t want them to touch, wash and dress my naked body even if I were dead. I am determined I should be the one bidding those women a proper farewell.”

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/almost-90000-sex-abuse-claims-filed-against-us-boy-scouts-legal-team-says-343628">Almost 90,000 sex abuse claims filed against US Boy Scouts, legal team says</a>

The trend comes amid growing calls for crackdowns of sexual violence against women, including a rash of hidden-camera crimes, “revenge porn”, and online networks that blackmailed women and girls into sharing sexual and sometimes violent images of themselves.

In the early 2000s, about a third of mortician students in the country were women, but today they make up around 60% of the class, said Lee Jong-woo, a professor of embalming at Eulji University in Seongnam near Seoul.

“With Confucian ideology, death was considered a taboo in South Korea in the past, and had negative perceptions of whether women could handle such work, but the perception has been changing,” Lee said.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladeshi-teenager-awarded-childrens-peace-prize-for-fighting-cybercrime-343119">Bangladeshi teenager awarded Children's Peace Prize for fighting cybercrime</a>

Young deaths

Funeral companies say they have been receiving more requests for female morticians.

“Most of the deaths of young people are suicides, and the families of the bereaved, especially if it was suicide and a woman, feel more comfortable if we handle the body,” said Park Bo-ram, a funeral director of seven years.

“I recall a teenaged student, an only child ... had committed suicide,” Park said. “Washing and dressing the body, I saw many signs of self-injury on her thigh, but none of her family knew.”

Park recalls that the girl’s parents were immensely grateful, even in the midst of sadness, that a female mortician handled their daughter’s body.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladeshi-stars-comeback-after-islamist-death-threats-342847" hreflang="en">Bangladeshi star's comeback after Islamist death threats</a>

South Korea’s suicide rate is the highest in the developed world: 24.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019, compared with an OECD average of 11.3. That year, it was the No. 1 cause of death among teenagers and people in their 20s and 30s.

More than 4,000 women committed suicide in 2019, including young female K-pop artists Koo Hara and Sulli.

In 2016, a quarter of the country’s 6,200 funeral directors were women, and with more than 130,000 girls and women dying each year, requests for female funeral directors are expected to rise further, Korea Employment Information Service said.

Yet some resistance to women in the mortuary business remains.

Shin Hwa-jin, 21, who plans to work at a funeral home after graduation, said she was shocked to hear a female mortician relate a conversation with her mother-in-law.

“Her mother-in-law asked her: ‘How dare you think of cooking my meals with the hands that touched a dead body?’” she said.

A growing number of South Korean women are training to be morticians, a field from which they had long been excluded, amid changing views on gender roles and a rising preference for women’s bodies to be handled by women.

A growing number of South Korean women are training to be morticians, a field from which they had long been excluded, amid changing views on gender roles and a rising preference for women’s bodies to be handled by women. With recent deaths of female celebrities and prominent figures, as well as growing scrutiny of sex crimes against women, gender sensitivity is changing the way families of the deceased bid farewell to their grandmothers, mothers and daughters. “I felt uncomfortable when my classmates of a different sex touched my body, even when I was fully dressed,” said Park Se-jung, 19, who is in her second year of funeral directing studies. “I sure wouldn’t want them to touch, wash and dress my naked body even if I were dead. I am determined I should be the one bidding those women a proper farewell.” Also read| Almost 90,000 sex abuse claims filed against US Boy Scouts, legal team says The trend comes amid growing calls for crackdowns of sexual violence against women, including a rash of hidden-camera crimes, “revenge porn”, and online networks that blackmailed women and girls into sharing sexual and sometimes violent images of themselves. In the early 2000s, about a third of mortician students in the country were women, but today they make up around 60% of the class, said Lee Jong-woo, a professor of embalming at Eulji University in Seongnam near Seoul. “With Confucian ideology, death was considered a taboo in South Korea in the past, and had negative perceptions of whether women could handle such work, but the perception has been changing,” Lee said. Also read| Bangladeshi teenager awarded Children's Peace Prize for fighting cybercrime Young deaths Funeral companies say they have been receiving more requests for female morticians. “Most of the deaths of young people are suicides, and the families of the bereaved, especially if it was suicide and a woman, feel more comfortable if we handle the body,” said Park Bo-ram, a funeral director of seven years. “I recall a teenaged student, an only child ... had committed suicide,” Park said. “Washing and dressing the body, I saw many signs of self-injury on her thigh, but none of her family knew.” Park recalls that the girl’s parents were immensely grateful, even in the midst of sadness, that a female mortician handled their daughter’s body. Also read| Bangladeshi star's comeback after Islamist death threats South Korea’s suicide rate is the highest in the developed world: 24.6 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019, compared with an OECD average of 11.3. That year, it was the No. 1 cause of death among teenagers and people in their 20s and 30s. More than 4,000 women committed suicide in 2019, including young female K-pop artists Koo Hara and Sulli. In 2016, a quarter of the country’s 6,200 funeral directors were women, and with more than 130,000 girls and women dying each year, requests for female funeral directors are expected to rise further, Korea Employment Information Service said. Yet some resistance to women in the mortuary business remains. Shin Hwa-jin, 21, who plans to work at a funeral home after graduation, said she was shocked to hear a female mortician relate a conversation with her mother-in-law. “Her mother-in-law asked her: ‘How dare you think of cooking my meals with the hands that touched a dead body?’” she said.

Women handling the dead: More female morticians in South Korea as taboo fades

Our society has men like Akshay Kumar and Arunachalam Muruganantham, who understood the pain a female goes through during the course of menstruation cycle. Rather than blindly following the horde of hypocrisy, some men chose to show their concern to any and every female around them.

A small town man from Tamil Nadu,Arunanchalam&nbsp;Muruganantham runs a factory, producing low-cost sanitary napkins. This initiative was not a money-making-idea. It was rather a step to get involved in the sphere shared by females; it had helped him to understand the pain of his wife, sister, and mother goes through while bleeding each month. Of course, the ride was no less than a roller coaster. Belonging to a conservative family, talking about menstruation with his own wife seemed like a sin. Running away from the judgemental eyes finally landed him in a medical college where he collected the used sanitary napkins. His moral never dropped even for a second because he had realised that menstruation was shrouded with the blind superstitious belief which is harmful to the entire female section. He had understood why men are unaware of the female biological phenomenon. He had understood that women of the society had been living a tough life all alone and needed proper hygienic sanitation during menstruation.

Taking inspiration from Arunachalam Muruganantham, writer/producer Twinkle Khanna along with husband Akshay Kumar, took the initiative further. Although the small town guy had gained his fame long before, Akshay Kumar made him India&#39;s &#39;Padman&#39;. This effort was made to inculcate in the society that menstruation is no evil spirit, and is as natural as peeing, which needs to be sanitised properly.&nbsp;

Giving Akshay Kumar the lead role in the film Padman was the right decision. Akshay, after all, starred in another taboo-breaking film &ndash; Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, and the actor is considered as an epitome of change in society. The film started off with a decent earning of 10 Cr, 13 Cr, and 16 Cr on the first three days of release. However, the film has seen with a considerable slowdown in the second week.

But the point is not how big hit the movie was at the box office. Rather, the impact of the movie in our personal lives needs to be analysed. Since I had expected a lot more viewership to this &lsquo;breaking-the-stereotype-movie&rsquo;, which actually didn&#39;t turn out likewise, I ended up conducting a survey asking what people know/think about menstruation.&nbsp;

From the responses of people, I realised that some have been hesitant in watching this film with family. A father and daughter might have felt embarrassed, or the son and the mother, or possibly a sister and a brother. To my shock, few men had answered &lsquo;I don&rsquo;t know what is menstruation&rsquo;, &lsquo;women bleed&rsquo;, &lsquo;Its women&rsquo;s personal problem, why should I know&rsquo;, &lsquo;women are Apavitra (profane) while bleeding&rsquo;, &lsquo;my wife and daughter don&rsquo;t tell me their problem regarding menstruation because of family customs&rsquo;.&nbsp;

This is disheartening because blood excreted during menstruation is actually what we all are made of. Had the blood been flowed in sewage even after conceiving the fetus, no human would have taken birth. Thus, if the women are profane during the course of menstruation, I believe we all are profane too.&nbsp;

The entire society needs to understand that although it is the woman who bleeds, the course of menstruation is to be dealt by the entire society. Not that men should start to bleed, but just as in pregnancy the husband has a very important responsibility of taking care of her wife. Similarly, while the wife, sister, daughter or mother is bleeding, men should play an empathetic role. The role of not giving her a judgemental nasty look, the role of sympathising her, the role of comforting and proving her, the role of becoming a helping hand instead of shunning her away simply by saying &#39;it happens every month, get used to it&#39;.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Although it is the women who bleed, the course of menstruation is to be dealt by the entire society. Akshay Kumar and Muru are amongst few to understand menstruation but what about the rest.

Our society has men like Akshay Kumar and Arunachalam Muruganantham, who understood the pain a female goes through during the course of menstruation cycle. Rather than blindly following the horde of hypocrisy, some men chose to show their concern to any and every female around them. A small town man from Tamil Nadu,Arunanchalam Muruganantham runs a factory, producing low-cost sanitary napkins. This initiative was not a money-making-idea. It was rather a step to get involved in the sphere shared by females; it had helped him to understand the pain of his wife, sister, and mother goes through while bleeding each month. Of course, the ride was no less than a roller coaster. Belonging to a conservative family, talking about menstruation with his own wife seemed like a sin. Running away from the judgemental eyes finally landed him in a medical college where he collected the used sanitary napkins. His moral never dropped even for a second because he had realised that menstruation was shrouded with the blind superstitious belief which is harmful to the entire female section. He had understood why men are unaware of the female biological phenomenon. He had understood that women of the society had been living a tough life all alone and needed proper hygienic sanitation during menstruation. Taking inspiration from Arunachalam Muruganantham, writer/producer Twinkle Khanna along with husband Akshay Kumar, took the initiative further. Although the small town guy had gained his fame long before, Akshay Kumar made him India's 'Padman'. This effort was made to inculcate in the society that menstruation is no evil spirit, and is as natural as peeing, which needs to be sanitised properly. Giving Akshay Kumar the lead role in the film Padman was the right decision. Akshay, after all, starred in another taboo-breaking film – Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, and the actor is considered as an epitome of change in society. The film started off with a decent earning of 10 Cr, 13 Cr, and 16 Cr on the first three days of release. However, the film has seen with a considerable slowdown in the second week. But the point is not how big hit the movie was at the box office. Rather, the impact of the movie in our personal lives needs to be analysed. Since I had expected a lot more viewership to this ‘breaking-the-stereotype-movie’, which actually didn't turn out likewise, I ended up conducting a survey asking what people know/think about menstruation. From the responses of people, I realised that some have been hesitant in watching this film with family. A father and daughter might have felt embarrassed, or the son and the mother, or possibly a sister and a brother. To my shock, few men had answered ‘I don’t know what is menstruation’, ‘women bleed’, ‘Its women’s personal problem, why should I know’, ‘women are Apavitra (profane) while bleeding’, ‘my wife and daughter don’t tell me their problem regarding menstruation because of family customs’. This is disheartening because blood excreted during menstruation is actually what we all are made of. Had the blood been flowed in sewage even after conceiving the fetus, no human would have taken birth. Thus, if the women are profane during the course of menstruation, I believe we all are profane too. The entire society needs to understand that although it is the woman who bleeds, the course of menstruation is to be dealt by the entire society. Not that men should start to bleed, but just as in pregnancy the husband has a very important responsibility of taking care of her wife. Similarly, while the wife, sister, daughter or mother is bleeding, men should play an empathetic role. The role of not giving her a judgemental nasty look, the role of sympathising her, the role of comforting and proving her, the role of becoming a helping hand instead of shunning her away simply by saying 'it happens every month, get used to it'. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Like Padman, are other men sharing the pain of menstruation?

With an aim to educate and empower women around the world, three graduates of the National Institute of Design in India came together to create The Menstrupedia. It is a comic book that breaks myths around menstruation and encourages dialogue in a lighthearted manner.&nbsp;

Aditi Gupta, Tuhin Paul and Rajat Mittal co-founded Menstrupedia in September 2016.&nbsp;The Menstrupedia: The Friendly Guide To Periods For Girls&nbsp;is a collection of cartoons that help girls understand menstruation and what happens to their bodies during puberty. The comic takes a scientific approach, rather than a social or cultural one, in order to promote knowledge.&nbsp;

<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMenstrupedia%2Fposts%2F1134605236652293%3A0&amp;width=970" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="970"></iframe>

The idea came to Aditi when she felt that the society around her was conditioned to never talk about menstruation. She felt that every conversation around the topic of menstruation was in hushed tone, from advertisements to asking for a sanitary pad over the counter. Sharing her story on HerStory, she said, &ldquo;We learn to deny our own body -- our own self-right -- from the time we started growing up, and then everything surrounding it, be it child molestation, periods, pregnancy, and intercourse. Even touching and hugging becomes shameful and embarrassing.&rdquo;

With The Menstrupedia, her team of three (one girl and two boys) started a campaign which emphasised the need to talk about periods, to stop the culture of shame and to come out in the open.

<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMenstrupedia%2Fphotos%2Fa.1014112515368233.1073741892.277577839021708%2F1014113448701473%2F%3Ftype%3D3&amp;width=500" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="970"></iframe>

They started by taking the comic to schools and NGOs across the country. As of now, The Menstrupedia has been circulated in around 75 schools and 25 NGOs. It is available in different languages, being reprinted in Nepalese, Spanish and South American languages. The team also plans to launch the comic book in different Indian languages so as to widen its reach across the country.&nbsp;

Emphasising on the need to include men in this dialogue, she said in her interview to HerStory, &ldquo;Involve men at home. Our husbands, brothers and sons love us, they care about us, they are compassionate. They will be supportive and glad if we include them.&quot;

Her team also focuses on giving practical know-how around menstruation. They organise workshops where they train girls about menstruation, teaching them about safe usage practices for sanitary products. They also install insinuators in villages for easy access of these.&nbsp;

<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="480" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FMenstrupedia%2Fvideos%2F392951360817688%2F&amp;show_text=0&amp;width=500" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="970"></iframe>

Aditi and her team aims to use Menstrupedia to open a broader dialogue within society at large. She wants people to rise above their discomfort and talk about issues related to menstrual hygiene. She is hopeful that there will come a time when people won&rsquo;t have to wait for any NGO or school to start a conversation about female health.&nbsp;

Currently, they are working on building educational infrastructure for menstrual education. They have an existing audio-visual comic book, that is desktop compatible. They are now working on making their product mobile-friendly so as to ensure complete digitisation.

(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Menstrupedia is a fun comic aimed at creating awareness and encouraging conversations around menstruation

With an aim to educate and empower women around the world, three graduates of the National Institute of Design in India came together to create The Menstrupedia. It is a comic book that breaks myths around menstruation and encourages dialogue in a lighthearted manner. Aditi Gupta, Tuhin Paul and Rajat Mittal co-founded Menstrupedia in September 2016. The Menstrupedia: The Friendly Guide To Periods For Girls is a collection of cartoons that help girls understand menstruation and what happens to their bodies during puberty. The comic takes a scientific approach, rather than a social or cultural one, in order to promote knowledge. The idea came to Aditi when she felt that the society around her was conditioned to never talk about menstruation. She felt that every conversation around the topic of menstruation was in hushed tone, from advertisements to asking for a sanitary pad over the counter. Sharing her story on HerStory, she said, “We learn to deny our own body -- our own self-right -- from the time we started growing up, and then everything surrounding it, be it child molestation, periods, pregnancy, and intercourse. Even touching and hugging becomes shameful and embarrassing.” With The Menstrupedia, her team of three (one girl and two boys) started a campaign which emphasised the need to talk about periods, to stop the culture of shame and to come out in the open. They started by taking the comic to schools and NGOs across the country. As of now, The Menstrupedia has been circulated in around 75 schools and 25 NGOs. It is available in different languages, being reprinted in Nepalese, Spanish and South American languages. The team also plans to launch the comic book in different Indian languages so as to widen its reach across the country. Emphasising on the need to include men in this dialogue, she said in her interview to HerStory, “Involve men at home. Our husbands, brothers and sons love us, they care about us, they are compassionate. They will be supportive and glad if we include them." Her team also focuses on giving practical know-how around menstruation. They organise workshops where they train girls about menstruation, teaching them about safe usage practices for sanitary products. They also install insinuators in villages for easy access of these. Aditi and her team aims to use Menstrupedia to open a broader dialogue within society at large. She wants people to rise above their discomfort and talk about issues related to menstrual hygiene. She is hopeful that there will come a time when people won’t have to wait for any NGO or school to start a conversation about female health. Currently, they are working on building educational infrastructure for menstrual education. They have an existing audio-visual comic book, that is desktop compatible. They are now working on making their product mobile-friendly so as to ensure complete digitisation. (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

#BeTheChange: Breaking the taboo around menstruation with comics

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