Advocate calls for paid menstrual leave

On any given day, more than 300 million women worldwide are menstruating, yet many continue to push through pain, fatigue and emotional distress in silence.

There is a growing debate in Jamaica about whether menstrual leave paid time off should be introduced. Countries such as Japan, South Korea and Zambia have these policies in place. Local advocate Shelly-Ann Weeks, founder of the HerFlow Foundation, argues that the conversation has moved beyond whether menstrual leave is needed and should now focus on its implementation.

"The whole idea behind menstrual leave is to allow for two to four days per month for staff members who need it," Weeks said. "It's not about every woman in every company being absent every month. It's about providing support for those who genuinely need it."

Weeks pointed to a range of medical conditions that can make menstruation debilitating, including endometriosis and fibroids, as well as severe symptoms experienced by women without formal diagnoses.

"They have symptoms where they are nauseating, some people have diarrhoea, they are vomiting ... so the need for menstrual leave has already been proven," she said. "It is unreasonable to ask someone to work while they are at certain level of pain or discomfort."

Weeks also challenged societal attitudes towards menstruation, noting that many still downplay its impact.

"Many people still believe that 'it is period, you see it every month, wah you deh gwaan so for?'" she said. "But we need to treat menstrual leave like every other human function. People will have headache and it gets so bad we say, 'Go home and rest', so treat menstrual leave [the] same way."

Addressing concerns that menstrual leave could affect productivity, Weeks pointed to evidence suggesting otherwise. A 2019 study by the National Institutes of Health found that menstruation-related symptoms result in significant productivity loss, with presenteeism (working while unwell) contributing more than absenteeism.

"Some people can take a pill and continue, while some days it gets so bad, they need to rest," Weeks said. "Some women need to take a minute, a day, or some just need access to their bathroom."

She added that the rise of remote work presents an opportunity to implement flexible menstrual leave policies.

"For me, I just needed at one point to be at home, in my bathroom on my toilet; and I take my laptop and continue working from there, making phone calls, sending emails," she said.

Weeks argued that in a changing job landscape, menstrual leave could also help employers attract and retain workers.

"If you have a company that you get more productivity out of your staff by simply implementing something as simple as this, productivity increases because women in the office feel more supported and loyal to the company; that is a win-win for everybody.

"We have more women in the workplace. They are innovative and they are reaching great targets for the company. but they have endometriosis. [They are] creating genius products, but they have difficult periods. So it is time now to get to the place where we know this is their reality and make them feel comfortable in giving their 100 per cent."

While acknowledging concerns about possible discrimination during hiring, Weeks said progress must not be stalled.

"I think this is a risk we should take because we still have a lot of managers who are women. Menstruation is unique to women, so we understand," she said.

"I think it (menstrual leave) should be paid. Treat it the same way we treat sick leave... maybe they can start it like that as a pilot."