General perception about providing facilities to women employees is, “It is an expenditure to be borne by the company with no direct returns.”
This approach towards employee welfare is rather regressive. Considering the growing participation of women in the workforce it is vital to give it a thought.
Why do women have to suffer silently when they get periods? They don’t openly talk about periods owing to the stigma attached to it and a kind of unnecessary awkwardness associated to it. So, when the matter is swept under the carpet quite conveniently at workplaces, women have to manage with all the anxiety, worry and physical pain they go through, while being pressurized to perform optimally.
Modern workplaces should not ignore the menstrual hygiene facilities and realize that it’s extremely vital to provide them to women employees. Let’s see why?
The benefits of providing menstrual hygiene facilities are as follows:
Women’s Health:
Beyond basic hygiene, workplaces seem to be often blind to menstrual health issues. Women experiencing heavy bleeding and pain during periods underperform, remain absent, leave early while the underlying causes are ignored and unacknowledged.
Serious menstrual disorders like endometriosis or fibroids lead to suffering of the employees’ health. When proper hygienic facilities are not provided it leads to absenteeism and underproductivity. Thus, causing losses to the company.
Safety and Hygiene:
When menstrual hygiene becomes a priority at workplaces, it prevents spread of infections among women employees. Proper disposable bins provide sustainable and cleanest ways to dispose of sanitary napkins and other menstrual products thus, reducing the risk to infection.
It prevents the spread of microorganisms caused due to used sanitary napkins and bodily fluids.
Employee Wellbeing:
Women feel anxious when they get periods. They don’t openly speak about it and feel stressed. When they unexpectedly get periods during office hours they panic when they don’t have the supplies for it. Also, there aren’t any particular ways to dispose of the sanitary pads. This causes further worry, anxiety and embarrassment. Obviously, their focus and energy are stolen away by their inability to cope with this challenge as there aren’t any vending machines at the workplace nor disposable bins specially meant for this purpose.
Dignity and Mental Wellness:
When women are taken care of during menstruation at their workplace it acknowledges their contribution to the organization. They feel accepted and appreciated, promoting respect. It’s a way to accept that periods are a normal biological function that doesn’t need taboo but requires care and concern.
Maintaining menstrual hygiene is a facet of employee welfare and dignity.
Mental Hygiene:
When workplaces acknowledge that menstruation is a biological function, it normalizes the phenomenon. The embarrassment, stress and anxiety related to periods vanishes and is replaced with concern and care.
No one needs to conceal conversations around periods. It maintains the self esteem of women employees.
Productivity:
When women get periods, they have to take leaves to rest and get relief from pain if facilities are not available at office. It suddenly disturbs their work as they suffer from pain, cramps or infection due to unhygienic conditions. Their productivity suffers. If the workforce is healthy, it benefits the employee and the company also. It is an economic benefit that most often goes unrecorded or unappreciated.
Gender equality:
It gives equal opportunity to women employees and they don’t feel disadvantaged due to inadequate facilities. Providing menstrual hygiene facilities promotes equal participation of the workforce. It breaks the taboos associated with it and fosters a culture of support, diversity and inclusion.
Ethical Responsibility:
When proper access to water, hygiene and sanitation is made available it is a fundamental human right recognized at workplace. A vending machine and a disposable bin for menstrual products is mandatory as it is an ethical responsibility of companies to provide them to women employees. Employers are ethically bound to provide safe and healthy environment to everyone.
Menstrual health – A step towards dignity and self-esteem –
What does menstrual health provisions include?
- Clean, private toilets with water, disposable bin especially for menstrual products.
- Vending machines for sanitary pads onsite in case of emergency.
- Flexible hours and rest time during menstrual pain.
- Training managers have to be sensitive towards menstrual health conditions. An acceptance that it is not a sign of weakness but a normal biological condition.
- Inclusive culture and language to support women during menstruation.
We at Naree Care promote menstrual hygiene through our vending machines and disposable bins meant for menstrual products.
Connect with our team and take your first step towards menstrual health and hygiene.
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