Menstrual Taboos: religious Practices that Violate Women’s Human Rights

Some world religions consider menstruation a taboo and impose different restrictions on menstruating women. This article argues that menstrual prohibitions based on religious grounds present a unique threat to women’s human rights. Although it is acknowledged that freedom of religion is an important human right, it is contended that, when it comes to a natural biological process like menstruation, it is the rights of women that must prevail in the clash between women’s human rights and freedom of religion.