Various nations have passed new laws to accommodate menstruation, but Odisha (formerly Orissa) state in India has an annual celebration of menstruation. During the 3-day Raja festival, women and girls play, parade, swing on special swings, eat, and rest; all agricultural activity is supposed to cease. The festival celebrates the Earth as a mothering goddess who menstruates and who also needs to rest. Speakers: Ranjeeta Priyadarshini, a former metal worker, now a law student who campaigns nationwide for paid period leave in India; Sociology professor at the National University of Law, Dr Rita Roy; Tapaswini, a metal industry worker from Odisha state; Akansha Mishra, a law student from Rajasthan state; and Pallavi, a factory worker. Women who menstruate make up about 30% of the workforce in India. https://wingsradio.org
Music in the program is from the annual festival.
Documentary Producer: Kalpana Pradhan
Series Editor for WINGS: Frieda Werden