Jamia Students use Sanitary Napkins in Campaign to Protest Violence Against Women

Breaking the stigma around menstruation, a group of student activists from the reputed Jamia Millia Islamia University started a campaign within the premises of the university where sanitary pads with feminist messages were placed all across the campus.

According to one of the activists, the campaign was inspired by a viral social media campaign called #padsagainstsexism, which was started by German woman Elone Kastratia on Women's Day, reported The Times Of India. This campaign was started as an effort to raise awareness about rape and sexism.

The students got in touch with Kastratia, and with her support began the campaign in Jamia.

However, the campaign was cut short after the security officials stopped the students from carry forward the campaign.

Reacting to this, the students said that they would not stop their fight against violence on women and would extend the campaign to various public places in Delhi.

The messages written on the sanitary napkins included statements like "period blood is not impure, your thoughts are", "menstruation is natural, rape is not", "streets of Delhi belong to women too", "rapists rape people, not outfits" and "kanya kumari, gandi soch tumhari". They were stuck on walls, pillars and trees in the campus.

This campaign garnered mixed feedback from students of the university. While many people did not show interest in the campaign, there were also many who showed great concern about the status of women in the Indian society.

"We want everyone to understand our point and create a safe atmosphere. The message is strong and direct—to remove the stigma attached to periods. The messages on the pads are about sexism in everyday life and how rape culture affects people in our country. It is an enlightening project for us," a student activist was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, Kastratia's #padsagainstsexism attracted the attention of millions online and the images of the campaign were viewed by thousands of people on Instagram and Tumblr.