In Some Countries, Women Get Days Off for Period Pain

In Some Countries, Women Get Days Off for Period Pain
Japan has offered menstrual leave policies since 1947, when a law was passed allowing any
woman with painful periods, or whose job might exacerbate period pain, to take time off.
This month, the company put in place a "menstrual leave policy," allowing women to take
a paid day off during their period without dipping into sick days or vacation time.
While it is important to acknowledge their experiences, Ms. Martin said, a menstrual
leave policy does more than that: It brands every woman who menstruates as ill.
" she said. that If the world had no men, if there were only women working, nobody would have been up in arms about a ‘first day of period’ leave,
It would be better, she said, to develop an overall leave policy for men
and women to take time off for a host of reasons, including chronic medical conditions.
" she said. that It’s because of this history that I’m wary of returning to an argument
that all females are crippled by menstruation — which is what menstrual leave implies to me,
Emily Martin said that It suggests women are uniquely handicapped in the workplace by the fact that they have periods,