Everteen’s 8th Annual Menstrual Hygiene Survey 2023 provides crucial insights into how menstruation affects women’s work-life. Surveying nearly 10,000 women between the ages of 18 to 35 from various Indian cities, the study reveals valuable data about the career-related implications of menstruation.
A key finding from the survey is that 68.9% of women have taken a leave of absence from work during menstrual periods, and 51.2% women have taken it twice or more times. This underlines the tangible impact of menstrual discomfort on women’s productivity and professional life.
In fact, as many as 82.8% of women admitted to struggling with work focus due to menstrual periods or associated pain, indicating that the issue affects a large proportion of the working female population. This finding amplifies the need for workplaces to be more supportive and accommodating of menstruation-related needs.
Despite the significant impact of menstruation on their work life, the survey revealed that women are reluctant to discuss these issues in the workplace. Only 5.2% of women feel comfortable discussing menstrual periods with their manager, and 39.9% of women do not prefer to discuss menstrual periods at the workplace, even with female colleagues. This data calls for a shift in workplace culture towards more openness and understanding around the topic of menstruation.
