Harmony with Hormones 2023-24: Culture, Religion & Society

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• Middelbare school
• vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Harmony with Hormones

Do you think that gender, menstruation, puberty and sex are considered the same way in different cultures? 

Have you ever experienced a different approach to these topics?

That’s what this session is all about: becoming aware of the differences between cultures and the inequalities that exist for all genders around menstruation, puberty and sex. 

What about you?

How do you see puberty, sex and menstruation? 

Is this how you truly feel about it? 

What influences how you feel about these topics?

Write in your notebook!

Write your reflections in your notebook and think-pair-share

What global factors influence puberty, sex, menstruation & gender identity?

Think UN Global Goals:

• Poverty 
• Health & access to healthcare 
• Religion
• Politics 
• Geography 
• Economy 
• 
  

No meat, rice, vegetables, sour foods, no drinking cold water, no sitting on wet ground, and no washing. In which country are these things forbidden?

What topic does this refer to?

1. Switzerland
2. Afghanistan
3. Australia
4. Colombia

Menstruation!

Afghanistan

These are some of the common myths surrounding menstruation in Afghanistan, where the topic is taboo and girls learn to see it as something negative, shameful or dirty. 

In some communities, “even women in the family don’t talk with the ones who have their period,” says 18-year-old Mahnaz. “They are not allowed to cook and they are ignored until the period is over.”

https://www.unicef.org/stories/how-girls-boys-are-busting-period-myths-5-countries 

True or false:
Girls are no longer virgins when they begin menstruating.

1. True
2. False

Ethiopia

More than half of adolescent girls in Ethiopia don’t receive any education about menstruation before their first periods. 

One common misconception is that girls are no longer virgins when they begin menstruating. Some are punished by parents who blame them for having sex or being raped. 

These beliefs, in addition to teasing and bullying, perpetuate girls’ feelings of shame and isolation, sometimes even leading them to drop out of school.

https://www.unicef.org/stories/how-girls-boys-are-busting-period-myths-5-countries 

What is a 'gaokor'?

1. A sanitary pad
2. A period
3. A hut for banished menstruating women
4. A group of menstruating women

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/dec/22/india-menstruation-periods-gaokor-women-isolated  

India

In some parts of India, menstruating women are supposed to stay in a gaokor. 

Since the huts are considered public property, no one takes responsibility for their upkeep. Gaokors lack a kitchen as women who are menstruating are not allowed to cook; those staying inside rely on family to bring them food and other items. Women usually sleep on the floor with just a thick sheet for a mattress, which is folded and used as a cushion during the day.

Given the location of the huts, it is not uncommon for wild animals to make an appearance, and there have been reports of women dying from snakebites while staying in gaokors.

Why might a menstruating muslim female hide eating and drinking from her male family members?

1. Because it’s respectful during Ramadan
2. Because she isn’t allowed to eat or drink on her period in the day
3. Because she eats too much when on her period
4. None of the above

What items might women use when menstruating if they don't have access or funds for sanitary items?

What do you see?

Rocks

Straw

Socks

Toilet paper 

Rags

www.theguardian.com

What percentage of school days may a girl miss due to periods?

1. 10-20%
2. 30-40%
3. 50-60%
4. None

Feminine hygiene products

Poor access to feminine hygiene products can result in girls and young women missing school. This is known to be a major problem in some Asian and African communities, but is also a problem in some parts of Canada. 

Further, some schools in parts of Africa do not have places available for girls to change their sanitary products, meaning they are not able to attend school while menstruating.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/7344998.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst 

Think-Pair-Share

We’re more environmentally aware than ever, so what eco-friendly products are out there? 

How can we ensure that people have access to them? 

How can we be more eco-conscious regarding our consumption of products in the school? (period products and otherwise)

Service opportunity!

SEX

Which countries have the highest age of consent?

1. Bahrain
2. South Korea
3. Japan
4. All of the above

https://www.ageofconsent.net/highest-and-lowest

What do countries such as Iran, Oman, Maldives Qatar and Saudi Arabia have in common?

1. The age of consent is 9
2. Sex is banned
3. There is no age of consent
4. None of the above

https://www.ageofconsent.net/highest-and-lowest

Consent

The highest Age of Consent in the world is 21 in Bahrain. The second-highest age of consent is 20 in South Korea, while the majority of other countries have an Age of Consent of 16- 18.

The lowest Age of Consent in the world is 11, in Nigeria. The age of consent is 12 in the Philippines and Angola, and 13 in Burkina Faso, Comoros, and Niger. 

Several Middle Eastern and African countries have no legal age of consent, but ban all sexual relations outside of marriage. This has raised concerns by international organizations, especially in countries where girls are married at 9 or 10 years old. Countries with marriage-based ages of consent include Afghanistan, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the UAE.

www.ageofconsent.net

How many countries in the world still criminalise homosexuality?

1. 12
2. 37
3. 69
4. 88

www.bbc.com

PUBERTY

What can a 12 year old girl and a 13 year old boy do in the Jewish community?

1. Get married
2. Own property
3. All of the above
4. None of the above

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zrrkxnb/revision/2 

What percentage of the world's male population is circumcised?

1. 7%
2. 37%
3. 56%
4. 72%

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4772313/ 

Circumcision: #1

Male circumcision is done for many reasons, but most notably for religious reasons and cleanliness.

In the Jewish religion, male infants are traditionally circumcised on their eighth day of life. The justification, in the Jewish holy book the Torah, is that a covenant was made between Abraham and God, the outward sign of which is circumcision for all Jewish males. 

Islam is the largest religious group to practice male circumcision. As an Abrahamic faith, Islamic people practice circumcision as a confirmation of their relationship with God, and the practice is also known as ‘tahera’, meaning purification. 

Circumcision #2

Circumcision has been practiced for non-religious reasons for many thousands of years in sub-Saharan Africa, and in many ethnic groups around the world, including aboriginal Australasians, the Aztecs and Mayans in the Americas, inhabitants of the Philippines and Eastern Indonesia and of various Pacific Islands, including Fiji and the Polynesian islands.

In the majority of these cultures, circumcision is an integral part of a rite-of-passage to manhood, although originally it may have been a test of bravery and endurance. “Circumcision is also associated with factors such as masculinity, social cohesion with boys of the same age who become circumcised at the same time, self-identity and spirituality,” Dr Hankins explained.

Circumcision #3

Social reasons behind male circumcision are becoming ever more common. “The desire to conform is an important motivation for circumcision in places where the majority of boys are circumcised,” said Dr Hankins.

In the Philippines, where circumcision is almost universal and typically occurs at age 10-14, a survey of boys found two-thirds of those surveyed choosing to be circumcised simply ‘to avoid being uncircumcised’, and 41% stating that it was ‘part of the tradition’. Social concerns were also the primary reason for circumcision in South Korea with 61% of respondents in one study believing they would be ridiculed by their peer group unless they were circumcised.

In a number of countries, socio-economic factors also influence circumcision prevalence. When male circumcision was first practised in the United Kingdom in the late 19th and early 20th century, it was most prevalent among the upper classes. In the US, a review of 4.7 million newborn male circumcisions nationwide between 1988 and 2000 also found a significant association with private insurance and higher socioeconomic status.

www.nationalgeographic.com

Masculinity

How do gender roles affect men's health?

What are the negative effects of masculinity on men?

What is the stigma around men's mental health?

What are examples of toxic masculinity?

How do gender roles affect men's health?

What are the negative effects of masculinity on men?

What is the stigma around men's mental health?

What is male gender role stress?

What are examples of toxic masculinity?

What is toxic masculinity in today's society?

What does it mean to be 'masculine'?
Give examples...

Being perceived as “weak” due to crying or showing fear

Emphasis on physical strength

Professional Success

Being the “breadwinner” of the family

Exerting dominance in relationships

Being assertive

Appearance standards (e.g., muscularity, facial/body hair, shorter hair)

Independent and Self-reliant

https://counseling.vcu.edu/students/identity-based-resources/men-and-masculinities/ 

What is the impact of this on men's health & wellbeing?

How could we do it differently than previous generations to break the cycle?

counseling.vcu.edu

Reflections

What surprises you from this session?

Do the maths!

Notebook