Journalist Quits Career to Break Period Taboos in Bihar

For years, Sitara Devi didn't bathe for four or five days during her period. She thought this was normal because generations of women in her Bihar village had done the same thing.

Across rural Bihar, journalist Surbhi Kumari kept hearing stories like Sitara's. Women avoided kitchens and temples during menstruation, girls skipped school for days, and nobody talked about why.

The shame around a natural biological process troubled Surbhi deeply. After finishing her reporting assignments, she couldn't shake one question: why were women still carrying this burden?

So she made a surprising choice. She left journalism entirely and returned to Bihar to create change herself.

Surbhi founded Periodshala, a grassroots program where women could finally ask questions about menstruation without judgment. At first, participants sat in silence during sessions, too uncomfortable to speak.

Then whispers started. Those whispers grew into open conversations, and questions that had gone unasked for years finally found answers.

Women who once followed restrictive practices began challenging the old beliefs at home. They brought these conversations into their schools and communities, spreading new information to daughters and neighbors.

Periodshala expanded beyond education. The program trained rural women to manufacture affordable biodegradable sanitary pads, creating both better access and new income opportunities.

The Ripple Effect

Over 25,000 women and girls across Bihar have now participated in Periodshala's programs. Each woman who learns the truth about menstrual health becomes a teacher in her own community.

When Sitara speaks openly about periods today, she's doing something her mother and grandmother never could. The shift represents more than personal freedom; it signals that entire communities are ready to leave harmful myths behind.

Girls now attend school during their periods instead of missing crucial days of education. Women make informed choices about hygiene products and practices that protect their health.

The silence that lasted generations is finally breaking, one honest conversation at a time.