Paper short abstract:

This paper critiques the medical pathologization of menstruation in Kerala, India, highlighting women’s promotion of period positivity through self-care, Ayurveda, and transnational feminist principles, with grassroots initiatives for comprehensive menstrual health and environmental sustainability.

Paper long abstract:

This paper interrogates the modern medical discourse of menstruation in Kerala, India, construing it as a “health crisis,” marked by the pathologization of menstruation as primarily related to conditions such as PCOD, dysmenorrhea, and PMS. However, a recent shift from this discourse is noticeable in the socio-cultural milieu of Kerala, extending beyond health practices and reflecting a broader resistance against dominant medical, neoliberal, and patriarchal narratives surrounding the female body. For instance, fieldwork revealed that contemporary Keralan women are actively promoting “period positivity” by reimagining menstruation as an occasion for self-care, sensory rapture, and homosocial bonding. Concurrently, there is a revival of indigenous medical practices, particularly Ayurveda, in the realm of reproductive and menstrual care following the COVID-19 pandemic. Embracing alternative menstrual care approaches, women engage in meditation, yoga, and mindful dancing and resort to traditional concoctions like ashokarishtam and saptasaaram as alternatives to allopathic pain relief measures. Furthermore, an interaction between transnational feminist principles and local socio-political dynamics has resulted in a unique manifestation of menstrual activism in Kerala, addressing a wide range of issues, including health, wellness, consumer rights, and environmental sustainability. This is exemplified by organisations such as the Sustainable Menstruation Kerala Collective (SMKC), which advocates for eco-friendly menstrual products and influences policies on manufacturing and waste disposal. In essence, this paper delves into diverse dimensions of menstrual health in Kerala, India, shedding light on alternative medical practices, grassroots initiatives, and the emergence of a novel feminist politics rooted in everyday resistance and innovative menstrual care strategies.