Thus came into existence Menstrupedia Comic. Founded in 2012 by Aditi Gupta and her husband Tuhin Paul, the Menstrupedia Comic aimed to crush the myths attached to the natural process of puberty.
Talking about menstruation is still a difficult task in many places across the country. The hesitation to speak about menstruation is almost similar, both in cities as well as villages. Understanding this, a couple decided to bring in a change in the mindset of the people through comic.
The Childhood Experience
Aditi Gupta was born in the Indian state of Jharkhand, in the town of Garhwa and when she attained puberty, at the age of 12, she had no idea what she was dealing through at first because she hadn’t yet been confronted with the recognizable fact of menstruation.
Her mother had shown her the way and given her the information she needed. Only until Aditi was 15-years-old did she begin to study the issue of menstruation thoroughly.
Aditi’s family was traditional and had a firm belief that menstruating women should not part of certain rituals at home. She was required to sleep in a different section of the house, wash her clothing separately, and not touch a spot where God was to be worshipped, each time she went into the menstrual cycle. She was also forbidden from purchasing sanitary pads because she was afraid of losing her family’s dignity. But she was forced to use old clothes as sanitary pads as an alternative.
Stunned and disheartened by the lack of awareness and culture surrounding this critical issue that had an influence on all young girls and women at some point in their lives. And she gathered information from physicians and young women. Which inspired her to create a comic book featuring three young women and a doctor as the protagonists. She published comic books on the internet. She has also shared her experience and expertise talking on the TEDx platform, helping young minds to understand entrepreneurship and normalizing menstruation.
The Start
What started as an idea, took shape in 2012 in a concrete manner when Aditi and her husband Paul founded Mesntrupedia. It began as a thesis project while they were students at Ahmedabad’s National Institute of Design. And today, it is changing the lives of scores of young girls across the world.
The website has evolved into a forum for pre-teens and teenagers to learn about puberty and sexuality.
The hardworking team includes Aditi Gupta and Tuhin Paul (co-founders and managing partners), Rajat Mittal(co-founder), Dr. Mahadeo Bhide (Medical Advisor), Ketan Raval (Business Advisor), and Divya Rosaline (Story Editor).
Menstrupedia comic book
The Menstrupedia comic, which has been in the works for almost a year and a half, is now available for purchase in India. Within India, the book is sent free of charge. They’re looking at ways to ship this book internationally at a reasonable price.
Menstrupedia Comic is a comprehensive guide on menstruation created by the Menstrupedia team and adopted in over 30 schools throughout India. Other nations, such as Nepal, South America, and Nigeria, are acquiring the books.
It has become an effective tool to talk to young girls and boys about puberty and ways to handle the same. Since the comic is available even in regional languages, it widens the reach.
Aditi’s art was first condemned for broaching a sensitive issue. The majority of people online and in the media, though, thought it was a good initiative. Every month, one lakh people visit Menstrupedia. NGOs such as Protsahan, Munshi Jagannath Bhagwan Smriti Sansthan, and two Buddhist monasteries in Ladakh have utilized her comic books.
A Hindu religious authority chastised her, stating, “They could be doing good, but they don’t know anything about religion”. Despite all these negative comments and criticism. She continues to do her noble work with sheer will and determination.
She was nominated to Forbes India’s 30 Under 30 list in 2014. As per the website of Menstrupedia, they have educated 13 million kids so far.
Also Read: Journey of Pooja Gupta
