Menstruation is still enormously stigmatized. Women die in period huts in Nepal every year. The Sabarimala Temple in Kerala doesn’t permit women of reproductive age inside. Shopkeepers all over India hand you sanitary napkins in a black plastic bag, as though it were contraband.

We don’t accept what is a perfectly normal body function. Patriarchal mindsets lead to the exclusion and shunning of young people while on their menstrual cycle – they are barred from simple activities like watering the plants or even entering the kitchen. We don’t offer accommodations for people who menstruate and who may be subject to particularly painful periods. Even one day of optional period leave (where people can work from home) would be a great help.

We can take back control of the discourse by refusing to stigmatize periods. Educating young girls about what’s normal and what’s not. Teaching families everywhere that there’s nothing unclean about menstruation, and sensitizing employers who can then go on to make it easier for people who have periods to go to work. Removing the mystery and the scandal around menstruation is the hope of the future. Offering a simple period leave is a great start.