Menstrual bodies and cultural practices: The voices of adolescent tribal girls from Kashmir.

Abstract

In this study the authors aimed to understand the menstruation experiences and its associated consequences among adolescent tribal girls of the Fakir Gujri community of district Srinagar. The data were collected from 15 participants through purposive and snowball sampling method. The analysis of the data helped researchers to capture the emerging themes. The main themes included experiencing and managing menarche, construction of cultural taboos and myths, fear of discovery and shame followed by menstruation consequences. The authors concluded that menstruation negatively influences tribal girls health and freedom in the study area. This study would be helpful for health professionals, human rights activists, NGOs, social workers, education policymakers and researchers working on tribal issues related to their welfare and health. Through this study, the authors contribute to the existing literature by presenting the experiences of young tribal girls toward their concerns, which have remained undiscovered over the years.