Ramadan and menstruation: the taboo of broken fasting

During their periods, most Muslim women choose to interrupt the fast, making up for it later. But the anguish lies in the very act of "displaying" oneself while eating, of enduring the questioning looks and being forced to justify oneself.

In France, this taboo of menstruation is reflected in the experience of women during Ramadan. Latifa, an employee in advertising, confides: "It’s a secret; we don’t show our condition, we don’t openly take our breakfast. There is a modesty towards women and men. We simulate the fast and participate in the evening meal as if nothing had happened." The fear of being seen eating leads some to endanger their health.

Salma, working in a predominantly female environment, shares the same experience: "I avoid eating or drinking in front of my boss, even though he is open-minded. I fear his questions and the embarrassment of having to explain myself. I’ve been trying to change my habits and become more comfortable about it in recent years."

Nüum, a former French teacher who has become a marketing specialist, agrees: "Eating in front of your father is shouting your indisposition and suffering the ’shame’." Myriam, on the other hand, experiences the situation differently: "My family is rather rigorous on religious and cultural principles, but I have never been rejected. I have always stopped fasting during my periods and resumed it afterwards. I was told not to fast, not out of impurity, but because it was exhausting." She recalls that Ramadan is not recommended for pregnant women, children, the elderly and travelers. "Are we going to consider them ’impure’?" she wonders. For Myriam, fasting is a personal journey and a menstruating woman should not suffer from prejudices.

The taboo of broken fasting during menstruation is a complex reality, tinged with fear of judgment and guilt. It is crucial to open the dialogue and address this issue with tact and understanding so that women can live this pillar of Islam serenely, without shame or prejudice.