Video Volunteers investigates current permissions around menstruation within religion, where deep-rooted taboos still perpetuate perceptions of impurity and prevent woman from taking part in religious practices.
Over the years, women have been breaking stereotypes and occupying male-dominated bastions with great aplomb. Yet, religion remains the one arena worldwide that has denied women an equal footing with their male counterparts.
When Video Volunteers set out to find out what men and women thought about women conducting rituals in temples, the answer was a vehement no. Men and women alike linked it to menstruation – believing that it makes women “impure” for four to six days a month.
From Sabarimala to Haji Ali to Shani Shingnapur, various religious institutions have held the belief that menstruation makes women’s bodies impure and denied women entry to religious institutions in entirety.
The judiciary has time again struck down such restrictions placed upon women’s entry on the grounds that it violates their constitutional right to equality and in the Sabarimala case asked one crucial question – is spirituality the exclusive domain of men?
THIS VIDEO IS MADE BY A COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENT FROM VIDEO VOLUNTEERS. THIS SERIES DOCUMENTING EVERYDAY PATRIARCHY IS SUPPORTED BY UNFPA
Is a woman’s body impure during menstruation? Check out our infographic to find out what the people of Jharkhand think.
Community Correspondents come from marginalised communities in India and produce videos on unreported stories.
These stories are ’news by those who live it.’ They give the hyperlocal context to global human rights and development challenges. See more such videos at www.videovolunteers.org. Take action for a more just global media by sharing their videos and joining in their call for change.
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