Facebook campaign launched by Nikita Azad.
By Sreejith Vallikunnu
A Facebook campaign ‘Happy To Bleed’ has been launched after a recent statement by Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan that women should be allowed in the Sabarimala temple only after the invention of a machine to ‘check the purity of women.’
The Facebook campaign, hosted by a Indian girl named Nikita Azad, was launched on November 21, asking women “to hold placards/sanitary napkins/charts saying Happy To Bleed” and post the pictures on their profiles or the campaign page “to oppose the shame game played by patriarchal society since ages.”
“Devaswom chief of Sabrimala temple, Kerala has given a sexist statement that once purity checking machines are invented, that check whether it is “right time” or not, (whether women are menstruating or not) are invented, he will think about letting women enter. By this statement, he has reinforced misogyny and strengthened myths that revolve around women,” the statement posted on Happy To Bleed Facebook page says.
“Happy To Bleed is a counter campaign launched against menstrual taboos, and sexism that women are subject to through it. It acknowledges menstruation as a natural activity which doesn’t need curtains to hide behind,” the statement adds.
In response to a question about women’s entry into the temple, Gopalakrishnan had stated in Kollam on November 14 that, “A time will come when people will ask if all women should be disallowed from entering the temple throughout the year. These days there are machines that can scan bodies and check for weapons. There will be a day when a machine is invented to scan if it is the ‘right time’ (not menstruating) for a woman to enter the temple. When that machine is invented, we will talk about letting women inside.”
Nikita had written an open letter to Gopalakrishnan, stating the gender issues implicit in his “dilemma”. The outrage campaign has been receiving good response from women and has gone viral on social media with hashtag #HappyToBleed, which is trending on Twitter.
2 Comments
The girls and women should ONLY launch a MASSIVE BOYCOTT of the Sabarimala Temple to PROTEST over the DISCRIMINATION against them.
The HAPPY-to-BLEED campaign is WRONG. How can any girls and women be HAPPY while BLEEDING during MENSTRUATION? The BLEEDING during the MENSES is associated with headaches, uneasiness, irritability and even DEPRESSION in the MENSTRUATING women.
The HAPPY-to-BLEED Brigade is actually DEFAMING the WOMEN by their CRAZY ACTS!! What will be the REACTION of HINDUS if some CRAZY GIRLS were to do something EXTREMELY DISGUSTING like PAINTING the words, “HAPPY to BLEED”, with the RED COLOR of their own MENSTRUAL BLOOD!!!
You are absolutely right!thanks