Teens living in certain areas of India are used to being stigmatised simply for having their monthly periods.

There are hundreds of taboos and myths associated with the topic, and it’s not uncommon for these girls to be told they can’t speak to their fathers, join in with family meals, make eye contact or even live in their family homes.

Until now.

WaterAid, in sponsored_longform with Aveda, have been working to educate girls living in the Telangana state in India on menstrual hygiene management (MHM), and have reached over 64,000 teens in less than a year. Now these girls are breaking away from the restrictions placed upon them and battling against the stigmas they have lived with for centuries.

Here, Stylist.co.uk hears from three inspirational girls doing just that, as they try to educate others on the importance of normalising periods across the world.

“I love breaking the taboos”: how teens in India are fighting against the stigma surrounding periods