Subtexts #1 - On Gender, Shame, and Small Transactions
- mudito
- Jul 29
- 1 min read
PADS, PERIODS, AND THE PRICE OF MASCULINITY
What makes a man hesitate at a chemist shop?
Why does a simple packet of sanitary pads spark such discomfort?
In the first essay of Subtexts, our new fieldwork-led series, we pause to examine the subtle discomforts that shape everyday gender dynamics in India. This piece draws from over 2,000 conversations with men across cities and small towns, tracing the lesser discussed, clumsy, and often awkward act of buying menstrual products.
What we found wasn’t just about pads. It was about performance. Shame. Inherited silences.
And the invisible rules men learn early: that care is feminine, and some transactions must stay hidden.
Through interviews, observational notes, and deep listening, Subtexts #1 explores how masculinity is not only performed but protected, in line queues, classroom exclusions, delivery app carts, and unspoken rituals.
It’s a piece about what’s not said. And what happens when we start paying attention.
Download the report below.
For collaborations or questions, write to us at community@mudito.org.
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About Subtexts
Subtexts is a narrative fieldwork series by Mudito that pauses to notice the lesser spotted signals shaping how we live, from habits to hesitations, shame to care. These aren’t grand claims or quick takes. They’re slow stories. Ones that trace the invisible scripts beneath our everyday actions.
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