According to Thesaurus, A Taboo can be defined as – the system, practice, or act whereby things are set apart as sacred, forbidden for general use, or placed under a prohibition.

Although we are living in the year 2020, still do you ever feel that living in this so-called society that is full of taboos which is still so backward. These taboos have been passed on from generation to generation. Our grandparents and their grandparents used to believe in all of this. Now when I question an individual upon a certain act or following a taboo, they have no answer. The only answer I do get it is that it has been like this for years, that’s why we have to follow, without having a valid explanation. 

There are still countless taboos prevailing and it is time to finally raise our voices and stop them. The list can go on and on when you come to think of it. When I thought of writing about it, I couldn’t just pick a single one and write on it. But I thought that this chain of taboos, in general, should be stopped

It is ME and YOU who are responsible for change and who can put an end to it. As they say, sometimes standing alone is way better than with people who don’t value you. Similarly, if we are not Okay with something we should voice it out, being silent won’t help. 

Stand with me to #BreakTheSilence 

Apparently, society has major issues with women. If you are a woman and you are seen smoking or drinking, you are being looked down at or if you talk about sex, you are shushed. Various reports claim that the effect of smoking can be on woman’s fertility causing damaged eggs and not conceiving. And if you are found drinking, the society says that your mother has not taught you anything. People look at you and make a face or simply comment and disapprove of you. 

We live in a society where a woman is the one who gives birth, but a boy child is preferred over a girl child and a woman is forced to get pregnant again and again until she gives birth to a boy. The people with the old mentality are just unhappy if a girl child is born. To all those out there, please educate such people and tell them that a woman has a set of X chromosomes in their body, whereas men have both X & Y chromosomes. So technically, the men are responsible for the sex of the child and not the women. So STOP BLAMING WOMEN FOR A GIRL CHILD, IT IS NOT HER FAULT. 

A woman’s character is questioned every single time but the men can do what they want. If a man is standing on a street wearing a vest and boxers, he would not be looked at or questioned. But If a woman is standing on a street wearing only a bra she will be considered a slut probably or she would get horrifying comments from the so-called society. 

It’s time to break the taboo!

A major taboo that is still prevalent especially in India is PERIODS. No matter how many movies or advertisements are made on this issue, still, the sanitary pads would be sold in a black polybag as if one is carrying an item that the world should not see. It doesn’t end here, the one having the period is forbidden to touch certain household items. In some cases not even allowed to go out of the house and asked to make herself aloof from everyone, while in some not allowed to sleep on the bed or eat with everyone.

Proper education should be given to an adolescent so that when the period does happen for the first time, it is not a traumatic experience. Hygiene is of utmost importance so why not talk about it? Every single guy knows about it, yet we behave like this. And to all the guys out there, yes it is a fact that mood swings are accompanied by the period, but you have no clue the pain women go through when they actually have a period, so don’t create a fuss. Menstrual cramps are extremely painful for some.

Every individual is different, some experience weird symptoms while others don’t. It is something that girls are made this way and guys are not. Women are even told not to visit the temple when in period or not to touch an idol too. They are even told to keep it secretive and not enter the kitchen too. It is high time, educate yourself and the others, and understand the logic behind as to why it was done earlier. Because there were no sanitary pads and the women used cloth or cotton and other unhygienic items. 

Raise your voice!

A major taboo which was, is and God only knows when will it become okay for people to talk about it is – SEX. Sex education is now a part of some curriculums but still, people are super reluctant to talk about it with their kids. While watching a movie if a sex scene comes on the screen or a kissing scene, the parents become uncomfortable. Yes, I agree that we are functioned that way. That respect and everything in front of our parents, but it is important to talk about certain issues. Kids instead of discussing stuff with their parents turn to the internet. You and I both know that the internet is full of stuff on every single topic. But what is good for the kid and what is not, who will tell the kid? 

You consider Pre-marital sex to be a sin and a girl’s virginity is of utmost importance to you. You are told to do sex after marriage only. By doing this, society will accept you. Buying condoms for that matter is difficult for people because of the mindset or what has been going on for years. 

Another such example is Love Marriage, getting married out of caste and Inter-caste marriage. Well, you must have seen some movies on the same too. Honor killings are a result of this. If two people fall in love but are not of the same caste then there are n number of objections and maybe they don’t even get to marry each other. If a person falls in love with a person of a lower caste, the chances are parents won’t agree. Yes, parents have their reasons and they want to see their kids happy but Love Marriage in certain castes and families is still prohibited

Help yourself & others!

For some even making career choices is like a taboo only. Do you consider what your kid wants to do or become? Do you force him/her to take up a certain course and career path? Subjects like Arts or humanities are still thought to be taken up with kids who get fewer marks. Home science is still considered as a study that only teaches you to cook food.  Do parents force their children to take up a government job? While they want them to become a professional with a private job. Or maybe they are passionate about some other stream than what the parents took? It is high time, please let your kids choose their career path and remember marks are not everything. So, don’t ever compare your kid with anyone. 

Honestly, when I come to think of it, there are so many taboos that still exist in our society. The list is never-ending. Some examples of taboos are Divorce, HomosexualityTattoosMasturbationLive-in relationshipsChild marriageAge of husband and wifeGay and Lesbian marriages,  VegetarianismFemale Foeticide, and Dowry.

Our country has worked really hard to change certain things, but why not these social taboos. Illiteracy is a major cause of superstitions and taboos. India is a perfect example of unity in diversity. It is a request to the citizens of this nation to raise your voices & come ahead to stop these taboos prevalent in our society. These taboos are of major concern and are ignored by society.

We together can make a conscious effort to raise awareness to educate people on the same and take this step and make our society a better place to live. I got the opportunity to write about this issue through #FertilityDostContest.

Come and let us #BreakTheSilence with Fertility Dost, India’s trusted platform for managing fertility health. 

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