A VOICE RISING ABOVE WHISPERED SHAME

FOR many adolescent girls in rural schools, menstruation still arrives with fear, shame and ridicule.

- HARINI M @ Virudhunagar

S Vijayarani Meenakshi interacts with students of a government-aided Girls Higher Secondary School in Dhalavaipuram during an awareness programme on menstruation, gender stereotypes and empathy | EXPRESS

(EXPRESS)

Whispered conversations, hidden cloths and mocking classmates continue to shape their experience of puberty long before they understand it themselves.

At a time when many still hesitate to openly address these realities, S Vijayarani Meenakshi, a 51-year-old from Rajapalayam, has been travelling to government schools across the region, speaking to students about menstruation, gender stereotypes and empathy with a candour many adults avoid.

What began as a childhood habit of reading has now transformed Vijayarani into a powerful voice challenging deeply rooted prejudices among young minds.