Nikita Azad launched a campaign called Happy To Bleed as a response to Prayar’s comments. “When that machine is invented, we will talk about letting women inside”, Prayar Gopalakrishnan, Devaswom Board President, was quoted as saying at the Kollam Press Club.
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A social media outrage against a sexist remark by the Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) president in connection with entry of women to the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala is gathering momentum. “We have started #HappyToBleed as a form of resistance against patriarchal beliefs about menstruation, and chauvinist notions that consider women the property of men or society”.
Thiruvananthapuram: A counter campaign “Happy To Bleed” has been launched on Facebook to protest against menstrual taboos and sexism of the temple authorities after a controversial statement was made, that women will be allowed to enter the Sabarimala temple only after a machine to “check the purity of women” was invented.
Ms Azad insists that there is no “right time” to go into a temple and that women should have to right to go “wherever they want to and whenever they want to”.
The seven-day campaign marked as a Facebook event already has many women posting pictures with #Happytobleed messages that also assert that the issue is not religious but about rights. “By this statement, he has reinforced misogyny and strengthened myths that revolve around women”.
Entry to the Lord Ayyappa Temple in Sabarimala is barred for women of menstruating age, broadly categorised as women aged between 10 and 50 years, a restriction implemented in connection with the temple’s celibate deity.
Many have expressed their solidarity with the move and are pouring in their protest with placards and photos.
People from all walks of life have come forward supporting the campaign.
Some, however, have also wondered how women can be “happy” to bleed since periods can often be pretty painful.
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“It may be painful, but it’s perfectly normal to bleed and it does not make me impure”, she adds.
