Legal Leave for Women During Menstruation

The menstrual cycle is a natural but sometimes challenging process in a woman’s life. So, should working women be granted legal leave during this time? As Happ Health Digital Health Platform, we pose this important question to you: What do you think about granting legal menstrual leave to working women?

Menstrual Discomfort Goes Beyond Just Pain

When we talk about menstruation, most people only think of cramps. However, the menstrual period involves a wide range of physical and emotional challenges for women. It's not just pain—insomnia, difficulty concentrating, and emotional fluctuations are also significant aspects of this cycle. During this time, women may struggle to focus and may find it harder to detach emotions from workplace decisions. In some cases, this emotional imbalance can even lead to poor decision-making.

Of course, this isn’t the woman’s fault—it’s a natural effect of a biological process. Women deserve to be in tune with their emotions and have the right to respect the needs of their bodies during this time.

How Does Switzerland Support Women During Menstruation?

Acknowledging these challenges, Switzerland has implemented a policy allowing working women to take up to three days of menstrual leave each month. This system enables women to rest, receive treatment, or simply recover on days when they feel unwell due to menstruation.

This decision is seen as a significant step toward protecting women’s health and strengthening their rights in the workplace. Women appear satisfied with the policy, as it allows them to care for themselves without compromising productivity. Employers also benefit by fostering a more positive work environment that is responsive to the needs of women.

Is Menstrual Leave Possible in Turkey?

What about Turkey? Currently, there is no legal menstrual leave policy in place. Most working women are forced to silently endure the physical and emotional discomfort they experience during their period. Even worse, many women in Turkey still hesitate to say, “I’m on my period,” and often hide sanitary pads in their hands or coat sleeves on the way to the restroom. In such a climate of privacy, openly discussing menstrual leave understandably takes courage. But it must be discussed.

Because menstruation is the body’s most natural cycle. And ignoring this cycle in professional life is no longer acceptable.

Legal regulations must be introduced in Turkey to allow women to take leave during their menstrual period. As in Switzerland, rights that prioritize women’s health would increase comfort in the workplace and provide long-term benefits for both employers and employees.

Why Should Menstrual Leave Be Considered a Basic Right?

The physical and emotional difficulties women experience during their menstrual cycle are not just personal issues—they are also a matter of labor rights. Respecting this time is a form of recognizing women’s health in public life. Menstrual leave is an important step toward ensuring that women can participate in the workforce under equal conditions. A system that acknowledges individual needs enhances employee satisfaction and sends a strong message in favor of gender equality.

Why Is Menstruation Challenging for Women?

During menstruation, the body undergoes hormonal and physical changes. While some women experience mild symptoms, others find it significantly disruptive to daily life.

• Pain and Cramps: Intense pain in the lower abdomen, back, and legs can restrict daily mobility.

• Fatigue and Weakness: Decreased energy levels can reduce workplace productivity.

• Emotional Imbalance: Hormonal fluctuations may lead to anxiety or depression.

• Insomnia and Lack of Concentration: Difficulty focusing can be especially problematic in mentally demanding jobs.

How Does Menstrual Leave Empower Women's Rights?

A leave policy aligned with women’s biological cycles does more than provide physical support—it reinforces equality in the workplace.

• Gender Equality: Special arrangements for women's needs promote social gender equity.

• Workplace Productivity: When women have time to rest during this period, their performance improves in the following days.

• Fighting Stigma: Normalizing menstruation helps reduce emotional stress and break societal taboos.

• Job Security and Loyalty: Compassionate employer policies increase employee loyalty and trust.

What Does Menstrual Leave Offer Employers?

Menstrual leave not only benefits the employee, but it also provides long-term advantages for the employer.

• More Positive Corporate Image: Companies that uphold women’s rights gain greater respect in society.

• Reduced Employee Turnover: When female employees feel valued, they are less likely to change jobs.

• Reduced Stress Sources: As the discomfort women experience during menstruation decreases, overall workplace stress falls.

• Women’s Leadership Potential: Healthy work environments strengthen women’s career development.

How Do Menstrual Leave Debates Influence Women’s Body Perception?

Debates around menstrual leave are not merely technical workplace issues; they also deeply influence how women relate to their own bodies. When women cannot speak openly about the challenges they experience during menstruation, it fosters an internalized belief that the biological process is shameful or must be hidden.

The female body has historically been both revered and controlled. Turning a natural cycle like menstruation into a social taboo makes it difficult for women to embrace and express their bodies authentically. Menstrual leave rights represent acknowledgment of the female body’s naturalness and allow it to be visibly respected in professional life.

Women are embarrassed not by their reduced productivity during their period, but by having to admit it. This creates a profound contradiction affecting body image and self-confidence. Social acceptance of menstrual leave can help women foster a more compassionate, realistic, and liberated relationship with their bodies.

Thus, menstrual leave is not just a right—it is a critical juncture for redefining control over female bodies, rejecting suppressed privacy, and opening the door to a healthy societal transformation.

Happ Health Stands With Women

For the challenges arising from our biological cycles to be recognized in professional life, we, as women, need to take meaningful steps. By voicing our experiences more openly and granting ourselves the right to slow down—not stop—during those days, while relinquishing the pressure to always be perfect, we can raise awareness.

At Happ Health Digital Health Platform, we want women to know they are not alone during these moments. We remind you that we offer online psychologist support accessible with a single click for women experiencing psychological difficulties or mood swings during menstruation.

Whether you are at an office or at home, you can quickly book an appointment and receive professional support. Because we understand: when women are supported, they become stronger.

Menstrual leave is a right that respects and empowers women by acknowledging their biological realities. We hope Switzerland’s pioneering example becomes a reality in Turkey too.