Marly Fisher, 17, addresses the House Appropriations and Finance Committee on Friday. Photo by Luis Sánchez Saturno/The New Mexican.
Yesterday morning’s newspaper startled me with a horrifying statistic: nationally, girls have become much more likely to think about suicide, in despair for reasons that are not hard to fathom. As the country turns away from supporting issues crucial to girls’ and women’s health, the scorn that is faced by all women, especially those young enough to appear vulnerable, is creating a mental health crisis.
But then I read a local story: here in New Mexico, our legislature has been faced with three young women who “missed class so others wouldn’t have to.” They described a situation in girls’ school bathrooms that would have been unmentionable even a decade ago: the “shame and discomfort” menstruating girls experience when tearing open plastic packages of tampons or pads, a shame that has long roots in fear and disgust around menstruation. The bill they are proposing would earmark three million dollars so that schools could provide these products for free. Perhaps this would affect in some way the “shame and discomfort” by bringing the whole issue out into the open, although it is uncertain whether our male-dominated legislature will pass the bill.
But at least the issue is being discussed out in the open.
New Mexico is a poor state, at the bottom of the list nationally, so that some girls can’t even afford these necessary products. But I’m wondering about the source of this shame, which I remember from my own teenage years; no one in my class of girls ever mentioned the unnamable “monthlies” that meant being excused from gym, for unknown reasons.
Was this blood a sign of our possible sexual maturity? Of the fact that our bodies were somehow out of control? And how does this pervasive shame increase the depression and despair that is a national problem?
We’re not really meant to be human, animal, part of the uncontrollable eternal cycle of life? Or perhaps for other reasons?
But—these three young women dared to come to the legislature, meeting now in Santa Fe in all its glory in a great high hall, and speak the problem. Probably some of the legislators were uncomfortable; they may never have heard these words spoken in public before. But it is a beginning…
Thank you for this Sallie.
As I watch our granddaughter growing up in TX and dealing with her menstruation cycles, it is encouraging to me to note that she does not seem to be embarrassed at all and handling it quite well. A lot different than when I was growing up and had to keep everything hidden, unmentionable, and tucked away from prying eyes.
My genteel, southern born and raised Momma would not talk about such things and we had to learn everything from our teachers in health class.
Hurray for these young women courageously addressing these topics at the legislature! It’s a wonderful idea, necessary, and just a minute fraction of the support young people need in this chaotic and backward state where we live. A state where the nuclear labs and military are given priority over our children, whether it is about their education, food insecurity, housing, or their overall health and welfare.
Continue speaking out EVERYONE and congratulations to these young women!