Interrelationship Between Attitudes Towards Menstruation, Support of Women´s Movement, Body Appreciation and Self-Esteem

The present investigation proposes an approach regarding menstruation and feminism to the experiences of Russian women. This study aims to examine the relationship of beliefs about and attitudes toward menstruation and attitudes toward feminism and women's movement to body appreciation and self-esteem by conducting an analysis in Russia. For that, four scales were implemented: BATM questionnaire, Body Appreciation Scale-2, Attitudes toward Feminism and Women's movement and Rosenberg Self-esteem. The research question that guided the study was: How do beliefs about and attitudes toward menstruation and attitudes toward feminism affect women’s body appreciation and self-esteem in Russia? This study was conducted through the participation of 252 participants between the age ranges 17-53. Throughout history menstruation has been stigmatized among all cultures and even after centuries, there exist still some beliefs and attitudes toward menstruation and feminism that segregate menstruating women and prescribe them to do some daily activities, limiting their lives. When women have a positive experience with their periods, and when they support women’s movement, they will have a positive body appreciation and they will tend to have high self-esteem. When they are still confused about this feminine process, they will have negative attitudes towards menstruation and their bodies.