Cockroaches and other insects

In Bangladesh, women take a fistful of joot—the small leftover pieces of fabric that end up on the floor of textile factories—and push it down their panties,” reports Anna Dahlqvist in her book It’s Only Blood.

The joot is like a hothouse for bacteria, fungi and mold. Moreover, there are cockroaches and other insects crawling around on the factory floor and into the piles of joot.

“What happens when menstrual shame clashes with poverty?” Dahlqvist asks. “Continuous human rights violations follow in the tracks of menstrual shame. Violations of the right to freedom and dignity. The right to equality. The right to education, health and work.”