Assoc.Prof. Yesim Sirakaya

St. Clements University UK Labor Economics and Industrial Relations Department Head of the Main Science

DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2025.v4i6n04

Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT

This study examines the reflections of the biological, psychological, and socio-cultural challenges faced by women employees during menstruation on their professional lives. It reveals how menstruation is overlooked in the workplace through the clash between women's biological realities and corporate structures shaped around male norms. The impact of societal taboos on workplace policies and practices is evaluated, and the hormonal and emotional changes experienced during menstruation are analyzed in terms of their effects on work performance. The study also explores the silent struggles of women employees, the practices of invisible labor, and institutional responses to demands for menstrual leave. It presents a comparative evaluation of menstrual leave policies in countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia, alongside menstruation-friendly practices in the European Union and Scandinavian countries. Finally, the study offers recommendations for developing institutional models that prioritize women's health, are supported by psychological support systems, and are grounded in gender equality. In this context, it emphasizes that biological differences should pave the way not for social exclusion, but for institutional inclusivity.

KEYWORDS:

Menstrual period, women employees, professional life, menstrual leave, gender, invisible labor, corporate structures, psychological support, human resources policy, gender equality, international practices.

REFERENCES

1) Bobel, C. (2019). The managed body: Developing girls and menstrual health in the Global South. Palgrave Macmillan.

2) Buckley, M., & Gottlieb, J. (2021). Gendered leadership and menstrual equity in organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42(5), 677–692. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2517

3) Case, K. A., & Meier, S. C. (2014). Developing allies to advance social justice. New Directions for Student Services, 2014(145), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20098

4) Chrisler, J. C. (2011). Leaks, lumps, and lines: Stigma and women's bodies. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 35(2), 202–214. https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684310386121

5) Cranton, P. (2016). Understanding and promoting transformative learning: A guide for educators of adults (3rd ed.). Stylus Publishing.

6) Gülseren, D., & Aslan, Z. (2022). Kadın çalışanların regl dönemine ilişkin deneyimleri ve iş yerindeki görünmez emek. Toplum ve Sosyal Hizmet Dergisi, 33(2), 101–119.

7) Hyde, J. S., Bigler, R. S., Joel, D., Tate, C. C., & van Anders, S. M. (2019). The future of sex and gender in psychology: Five challenges to the gender binary. American Psychologist, 74(2), 171–193. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000307

8) İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyesi (İBB). (2023). Kadın sağlığına erişim projesi: Ped dağıtımı pilot uygulaması raporu. https://ibb.istanbul

9) Jewitt, S., & Ryley, H. (2014). It’s a girl thing: Menstruation, school attendance, spatial mobility and wider gender inequalities in Kenya. Geoforum, 56, 137–147. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoforum.2014.07.006

10) Johnston-Robledo, I., & Chrisler, J. C. (2020). The menstrual mark: Menstruation as social stigma. Sex Roles, 68(1–2), 9–18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-011-0052-z

11) KESK Kadın Meclisi. (2021). Regl izni ve kadın sağlığı hakkında basın açıklaması. http://www.kesk.org.tr

12) Mahon, T., Tripathy, A., & Singh, N. (2015). Putting the men into menstruation: The role of men and boys in community menstrual hygiene management. Waterlines, 34(1), 7–14. https://doi.org/10.3362/1756-3488.2015.002

13) Sumpter, C., & Torondel, B. (2013). A systematic review of the health and social effects of menstrual hygiene management. PLOS ONE, 8(4), e62004. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0062004

14) UNESCO. (2019). Menstrual hygiene management in schools: Policy and practice. https://unesdoc.unesco.org

VOlUME 04 ISSUE 06 JUNE 2025