By Manavi Nag
“Breaking the Taboo” follows the real-life stories of 7 young girls and the trials, tribulations, struggles and hardships they face, whilst dealing with their period, in a country where menstruation is considered a huge taboo. Nag draws upon century old myths and stereotypes in the south asian community that often prevent women from doing normal things like entering the kitchen or visiting a temple whilst menstruating, since menstruation is seen as dirty and impure. Her book explores the magnitude and extent to which young girls are affected by the taboo and provides an eye-opening, deep dive into stories you may have never heard before. “Breaking the Taboo” aims to raise awareness, start those difficult and uncomfortable conversations while educating people about the stigma that surrounds menstruation which is evident starting with the cover illustration. Artist Aarna Dalal designs the cover in a way to portray how not all people that menstruate are women! Overall, the book creates a pathway for discussion: a place where girls and women are able to express their feelings of discomfort, pain, happiness, excitement and anything else with the world regardless of age, gender etc.
Manavi Nag is a high-school student from India and has grown up in 3 different countries, shaping her into the open-minded person she is today and influencing her writing style to some extent as well. Manavi loves to write and uses writing as a creative outlet and a form of therapy and has been writing ever since she can remember. She hopes to pursue her passion for writing even more and explore new styles and forms of writing. Manavi is passionate about various social causes such as feminism, menstruation awareness and rights and mental health amongst many others. She co-runs @ourmindsong on Instagram, a page that has helped her to further practise her writing and social advocacy skills. In her free time, Manavi loves to dance, read and watch movies and shows! She hopes that together, we can break the taboo surrounding menstruation!
Originally created and posted on Instagram. Click to go to the original post!