Which countries offer paid menstrual leave?

Did you know that several countries around the world formally recognize menstrual health in the workplace? Nations such as Japan, Indonesia, Spain, Taiwan, and Zambia have implemented policies that provide paid menstrual leave, acknowledging the very real physical and emotional impact periods can have. Others — including South Korea, Mexico, and Vietnam — offer unpaid or more limited menstrual leave options, marking important, if partial, steps toward workplace inclusion.

And while progress has been uneven, meaningful change is happening. A state in India, Karnataka, has recently mandated menstrual leave for working women, setting a powerful precedent in a country where menstrual stigma remains widespread. Meanwhile, Spain made history as the first European country to introduce paid menstrual leave nationwide, signalling a shift in how governments and employers across the continent may begin to approach menstrual health.

These policies aren’t special treatment: they are recognizing menstruation as a normal biological process and creating work environments that allow people to show up with dignity

Understanding menstrual health is essential not just on a personal level, but on a societal one. Policies like menstrual leave challenge long-standing stigma and push workplaces to recognize menstruation as a legitimate health consideration. Through Juno Talks, we’re sparking conversations that connect lived experiences with policy progress — because informed dialogue is how cultural change begins.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c78zg4810jro

https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/02/16/spain-set-to-become-the-first-european-country-to-introduce-a-3-day-menstrual-leave-for-wo

If women live longer, why are they sicker?

We’ve all heard it: women, on average, live longer than men. Yet they also spend 25% more of their lives in poor health. This isn’t simply biology—it’s the result of long-standing gaps and blind spots in how women’s health is researched, diagnosed, and treated.

For decades, women’s symptoms have been under-researched or dismissed. Many conditions disproportionately affecting women—such as endometriosis, autoimmune diseases, or chronic pain—are often diagnosed late or not at all. Clinical trials have historically centered male bodies as the “default,” leaving critical gaps in understanding how diseases present and progress in women.

According to recent research, if these gaps in care were closed, women could collectively gain back more than 500 days of healthy life—time currently lost to preventable illness, delayed diagnosis, or inadequate treatment. That’s over a year of healthier living per woman.

The impact goes far beyond individual well-being. Improving women’s health outcomes would mean healthier families, stronger communities, and a more resilient workforce. On a global scale, better women’s healthcare could benefit 3.9 billion women and contribute up to $1 trillion to the global economy by 2040.

Women’s health is not a niche issue. It’s a societal, economic, and human issue. Through Juno Talk, we aim to spotlight these disparities and challenge the idea that poor health is something women simply have to live with. It’s time to stop overlooking women’s health—and start treating it as the priority it deserves.

Source: Ellingrud, K., Pérez, L., Petersen, A., & Sartori, V. (2024). Closing the women’s health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies. McKinsey & Company. https://www.mckinsey.com/mhi/our-insights/closing-the-womens-health-gap-a-1-trillion-dollar-opportunity-to-improve-lives-and-economies

Can you name the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle ?

Can you name the 4 phases of the menstrual cycle— without googling? Most of our interviewees couldn’t and that’s okay! We are not here to judge, but to educate. This gap in knowledge is a reflection of how rarely menstrual health is explained in a clear and complete way.

The menstrual cycle is typically divided into four phases, each driven by hormonal changes in the body:

1. Menstrual Phase
   This is when bleeding occurs. The uterus sheds its lining, resulting in a period that usually lasts between 3 and 7 days. Hormone levels are at their lowest during this phase.
2. Follicular Phase
   This phase begins on the first day of the period and continues after bleeding stops. The body releases hormones that stimulate the ovaries to prepare an egg, while the uterine lining starts to rebuild.
3. Ovulation
   Ovulation happens when one ovary releases an egg, typically around the middle of the cycle. This is the phase when pregnancy is most likely to occur, though timing can vary from person to person.
4. Luteal Phase
   After ovulation, the body enters the luteal phase. Hormones work to support a potential pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t happen, hormone levels drop and the cycle starts again with menstruation.

Understanding these phases helps demystify what’s happening in the body throughout the month—not just during a period. Through Juno Talk, we aim to make this kind of knowledge more visible and accessible, because understanding the cycle is a powerful step toward understanding overall health.

healthline.com/health/womens-health/stages-of-menstrual-cycle