At a time when women are an intrinsic part of the work force, especially in developed nations, talking about periods or menstruation is still not welcome. A Bristol company has proposed to change this.
Coexist, located in Bristol, is creating a "period policy" for its staff.
"I have managed many female members of staff over the years and I have seen women at work who are bent over double because of the pain caused by their periods. Despite this, they feel they cannot go home because they do not class themselves as unwell. And this is unfair. At Coexist we are very understanding. If someone is in pain - no matter what kind - they are encouraged to go home. There is a misconception that taking time off makes a business unproductive. Actually it is about synchronising work with the natural cycles of the body," said Bex Baxter, one of the directors at Coexist, which employs 24 people, out of whom seven are men.
Her observation that women undergo pain during the menstrual cycle is corroborated by the NHS, which found that up to "90% of menstruating women experience pain and discomfort during their period. One study of more than 400 women with period pain found symptoms were moderately painful in around 20% of women, and severe in 2% of cases."
Menstrual leave has existed in Japan since the 1940s and currently exists in parts of China, South Korea and Taiwan.
The Coexist menstruation policy will be created during the Pioneering Period Policy: Valuing Natural Cycles in the Workplace seminar, which will be led by Alexandra Pope and seeks to "educate, empower and inspire organisations to explore menstruation and other natural energy cycles."
Baxter explained that as part of the policy, it will not be compulsory for women to take leave during their periods.
"Also, it is not mandatory, women do not have to take time off on their periods if they don't want to. I was talking to someone the other day and they said if it were men who had periods then this policy would have been brought in sooner. But we just want to celebrate and start talking about menstruation in a positive way, rather than the negativity which has shrouded the cycle," Baxter added.
During the forthcoming seminar, the "period policy" and the ways to implement it will be worked out with employees of Coexist and other attendees.
