Toronto Star

Companies leave the stigma behind

Spain is considerin­g paid menstrual leave for workers. Should Canada follow their lead?

- MARIA IQBAL STAFF REPORTER

Periods make people uncomforta­ble, as Karina Mohammed knows all too well. The Scarboroug­h resident remembers a “horror story” from her university days, when she began menstruati­ng hours before an evening class where she was due to give a presentati­on.

“I was in immense period pain. I remember distinctly rolling on the floor and just dreading having to go out in the cold,” she said.

Mohammed asked her professor to postpone the presentati­on, explaining the reason. Her request was denied. So she commuted to campus, only to learn when she got there that class was cancelled for other reasons.

“It was just one of those moments where I was like, ‘There is no considerat­ion for what people who menstruate, what their bodies are going through,’ ” she said.

Now, Mohammed works for Diva Internatio­nal Inc., the Kitchenerb­ased company behind the DivaCup menstrual device, which in October introduced paid menstrual leave for employees.

This week, Spain approved a draft bill that could make it the first European country to offer workers paid menstrual leave. If the law is passed, the government would cover time off for women diagnosed by a doctor to have severe period pain.

“It’s an end to working in pain and popping pills,” Spanish Equality Minister Irene Montero said after a cabinet meeting Tuesday. Some Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Indonesia already offer similar leaves.

Although period leave can be a divisive topic, advocates say it goes a long way toward recognizin­g the monthly struggle many face.

At Diva, employees can have one paid day off per month for menstrual leave. The company took inspiratio­n from Victorian Women’s Trust in Australia, a feminist advocacy group which trialled a paid menstrual-leave policy beginning in 2016 and created a template for other workplaces to use.

Diva’s co-founder and CEO says the company adopted the policy as part of its mission is to destigmati­ze periods, as well as an extension of years of accommodat­ing workers’ need for time off to manage their symptoms.

“This just felt like the next natural evolution … towards creating more workplace equity for people who menstruate,” said Carinne Chambers-Saini.

Since the policy was introduced, Diva said it’s been used 47 times. About half of the 33 eligible employees (out of about 50 workers total) took time off at least once. The majority of them used the policy between one and three times in the past seven months, the company said in an email.

“I can absolutely say that it has not affected anyone’s productivi­ty,” said Chambers-Saini.

Since introducin­g the policy, Diva has heard from more than 10 other businesses looking for help creating their own. (Though as far as the company is aware, they’re the first and only one to offer menstrual leave in Canada.)

There are some criticisms about the policies. While menstrual leave raises awareness about women’s health, there’s too much stigma attached to periods for people to feel comfortabl­e using the time off, said Sarah Kaplan, director of the Institute for Gender and the Economy at the University of Toronto.

The distinguis­hed professor was also concerned that policies that single women out could lead to discrimina­tion and prevent them from getting jobs or promotions. She suggests having more sick days for everyone instead.

A professor at the University of British Columbia also had reservatio­ns. Most people can manage their period symptoms with overthe-counter medication such as ibuprofen, said Dr. Jerilynn Prior, founder and scientific director of the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research.

“I don’t think we need laws that segregate women and imply that they’re somehow vulnerable in basic ways,” she said, although she supported some form of paid leave for those who experience severe pain that medication can’t help. “We need better understand­ing and research about what cramps are and about how to treat them.”

Prior says period pain can be caused by stress, pointing to women bearing the brunt of work needed to run households, like working full-time plus doing all the cooking and shopping while caring for the children and elders in a family.

“A more equitable distributi­on of the work of living would help cramps,” she said.

But Zeba Khan, founder and director of Free Periods Canada, countered the criticisms by saying menstrual leave will help combat stigma associated with periods. The Vancouver-based non-profit promotes equitable access to menstrual products and menstrual health advocacy.

“Unless we are able to develop medication that works for everybody without any severe side effects, I think (menstrual leave) for now … is the right step,” she said.

Even for Mohammed, menstrual leave was a welcome change at work, but she originally hesitated to use it out of a fear that she’d be seen as weak. “What really helped me get through that was … being able to openly say, ‘Hey, team, this is what I’m truly feeling,’ ” she said.

“Taking menstrual leave is really empowering, but it also feels radical,” she added. “It’s a weird internal conflict because there’s a part of me that’s like, ‘No, this should be normal. Giving body and mind the time to take rest should be normal.’ ”

‘‘ I can absolutely say that it has not affected anyone’s productivi­ty.

CARINNE CHAMBERSSA­INICO

CEO OF DIVA INTERNATIO­NAL ON COMPANY’S MENSTRUAL LEAVE POLICY

 ?? ?? For Karina Mohammed, menstrual leave was a welcome change at work, but she initially feared she’d be seen as weak. “What really helped me get through that was … being able to openly say, ‘Hey, team, this is what I’m truly feeling,’ ” she said.
For Karina Mohammed, menstrual leave was a welcome change at work, but she initially feared she’d be seen as weak. “What really helped me get through that was … being able to openly say, ‘Hey, team, this is what I’m truly feeling,’ ” she said.
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