Navigating Menstruation, Sex, and Womanhood

A reflective, multimedia exhibit exploring themes of power, gender, pleasure, and purity – telling the stories of 40 women living in five diverse slums of Mumbai.

The exhibit presents findings of two research projects by Annika and Meher on menstruation, sanitation services, and sexual & reproductive health among women in Mumbai’s slums. It features a short film directed and shot by women and girls themselves. The researchers aim to spark audience dialogue and reflection on personal health and its intersection with gender, culture, and power structures.

About the researchers:

• Annika Agarwal is a ‘23-’24 Fulbright Scholar from New Jersey, USA. As a researcher at the Global Women’s Health Research Collective (GloWHeR) for the past 3 years, Annika harnesses participatory and creative methods to understand pressing global health questions. Currently, Annika is a research assistant for SAMIP, a 5-year NIH funded study strengthening menstrual health interventions in Nepal, and works with the Research and Analytics Team at Dasra. Annika has felt deeply connected to Mumbai on account of her childhood summer vacations, which inspired her to work with women and girls living in Mumbai’s slums. Annika is passionate about integrating community-based participatory methods and arts-based tools in research spaces to center participant voices. She holds a degree in Anthropology and will be attending medical school at the University of Pittsburgh in the coming months, where she hopes to translate her research into improving women’s experiences in clinical settings.
• Meher Kaur is a researcher and aspiring filmmaker working in the international development and social impact space. Born and raised in Maryland, USA, Meher’s deep connection to her roots drives her to pursue her work in India. She is currently based in Mumbai, working as a Research Associate at the Atlas of Behavior Change in Development (ABCD). Previously, Meher was a Fulbright Scholar studying access to sexual and reproductive healthcare for women and girls living in slums of Mumbai. Prior to this, she worked as a Research Associate at the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), where she studied opioid dependence among youth in Punjab and helped design a documentary film series to raise awareness about drug dependence. Throughout her professional journey, she has utilized film to highlight the compelling stories she encounters in her work. Meher holds a degree in Economics and Development Studies and plans to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Policy at Harvard University in the coming months.