Former M.I.A. Drummer Kiran Gandhi Runs London Marathon Without Tampon, Bleeds for Awareness

For some, seeing a woman's period could be awkward, but one woman named Kiran Gandhi decided to make her menstrual cycle known to raise awareness for the women of the world who don't have feminine products to use while on their cycle. According to PEOPLE, Gandhi, who previously played the drums for rapper M.I.A., decided to run the London Marathon without a tampon. Gandhi's period flowed freely to encourage women not to be ashamed of their periods.

#Respect: Woman runs marathon without tampon, breaks taboos #KiranGandhi https://t.co/1FdlVIaXYm pic.twitter.com/f1uX7lycqD

— Feminism Trends (@Feminismolizer) August 8, 2015

"I ran the whole marathon with my period blood running down my legs," Gandhi, 26, stated on her website. The race took place back in April. Now, the Harvard Business School graduate explains why she decided to run without a using a tampon: "I ran with blood dripping down my legs for sisters who don't have access to tampons and sisters who, despite cramping and pain, hide it away and pretend like it doesn't exist." The brave woman said that her period started the night before the London Marathon. She claims that a tampon may have been uncomfortable while she ran, so that was another reason she decided to go freely.

Londoner Kiran Gandhi runs marathon without tampon, "decides to bleed freely and just run" https://t.co/B2uTEaeIkG pic.twitter.com/Hljwhlxjom — Jihad Patriot Mom (@SubMedina) August 7, 2015

Gandhi also wrote: "I ran to say, it does exist, and we overcome it every day." With a menstrual cycle, women usually experience, cramps, headaches, backaches, nausea and more. Gandhi stood strong and made it to the finish line enduring cramps, but felt very empowered for the obstacle she overcame. "I felt kind of like, Yeah! F*ck you!," the 26-year-old said. "I felt very empowered by that. I did." After she finished the race that she trained for for over a year, Gandhi, without any shyness, posed for photos with her family and friends wearing the blood-stained pants.

Menstruating while you are running a marathon? Painful isn’t? #marathon #KiranGandhi   https://t.co/RDa0qlv7Tl pic.twitter.com/DsKf1RTAF9 — DustbinDubba (@dustbindubba) August 7, 2015

Gandhi ran without a tampon to acknowledge the continuing issue of period-shaming. On her site it said, "On the marathon course, sexism can be beaten.

"If there's one way to transcend oppression, it's to run a marathon in whatever way you want," she added. "Where the stigma of a woman's period is irrelevant, and we can re-write the rules as we choose."

Comedian Margart Cho even reconizged Gandhi's bravery and tweeted: "Truly inspiring."

Truly inspiring. https://t.co/g7W8zx9GtX #feminism #beautiful

— Margaret Cho (@margaretcho) August 8, 2015