Mumbai, March 2 (IANS): Actresses Bhumi Pednekar and Tanaaz Irani are shocked that conversations around menstrual cycle are still considered a taboo, and stressed on the importance of opening up about it.

Actress Tanaaz Irani, who has a daughter and a son, said: "Being a mother I feel the roads of communication should be quite open between a mother and a daughter especially when it comes to menstrual hygiene. Women are very shy and get very scared to talk about these things. I would want my daughter to talk to me about it rather than go to their friends."

"I think we need to raise more awareness around the how girls are dropping out of school due to lack of menstrual hygiene among the younger generation. There is an entire world out there that does not have the kind of facilities we do… When I was in college and my friends from the gynecology department went out to government hospitals for internships, they would find small girls in serious health conditions as they would use foreign elements like ‘flower and coconut shells' when on their periods. I was shocked and I feel that the main thing is that the lines of communication have to be open on these topics at a younger age so that they are conditioned to hear these things."

Tanaaz says her son is about 12 years old and "we are already talking about how to respect a women".

"The cause of keeping girls in school hits home, and feels personal to me, especially with periods continuing to be a taboo topic. I was shocked to learn that lack of period education is leading to 1 in 5 girls dropping out of school each year," Bhumi said.

The actress has joined hands with Whisper for an initiative #KeepGirlsInSchool.

Talking about it, Bhumi said: "The initiative comes at a time when empowering the young women of India with the right knowledge and education is critical for our country's growth. It is a rare opportunity where each of us can collectively make a difference in the lives of young girls. It truly is time to #KeepGirlsInSchool."

"Qubool Hai" actress Shalini Kapoor Sagar shared: "With times we need to change too. I have no shame in saying that during Ganpati Visarjan I was on my period and I went to my doctor and asked for a pill to delay it. He was shocked and told me that living in this time why do I think like this and want to put yourself through a hormonal misbalance. I actually did the Puja despite having my periods because I know my thoughts are clean and that is what counts. I have realised that I can bring a change to society once I change my own mind set."