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.
