Local News for the Vale

New Study Reveals the Personal and Professional Price of Period Inequity in the UK

By Lily Mott | Updated Tuesday 5th March 2024 3:45pm |  Follow us @broradio

New findings reveal that UK businesses lose around £3.27 billion per year due to menstrual-related absenteeism, totalling around 3 million workdays missed each year. 

Figures reveal that 18% of full-time and 17% of part-time workers regularly miss work due to menstrual-related issues.

The State of Period Equity in the UK report produced by Essity and In Kind Direct calls for workplace reforms to better support menstruating workers.

Around 70% of people who have periods say that their cycle significantly limits their work capacity, with almost 1 in 5 saying that they “miss work with most or every period,” according to the report.

“We've got millions of people who are missing out on education and work because of their period,” said In Kind Direct Partnerships and Impact Director Charlotte Walsh. “It's about pain. It's about embarrassment. And, it's about not being able to access the products that they need.”

Around 37% of people who have periods report that they haven't had access to period products at some point in their lives. This limited access to menstrual products forces 6% of the people who participated in the report to stay home, rather than going to work, when they are on their period.

The State of Period Equity in the UK report also highlights the silence and stigma surrounding menstruation. Around 20% of people who have periods have felt they need to hide that they have their period from others.

“It's a societal thing,” Essity Regional Marketing Director Ruth Gresty says. “If girls are being told that these words, or their body parts, or saying, 'I'm menstruating,' is naughty, it feeds that stigma.”

Gresty says the keys to helping women go back to work or be at work when they're not comfortable are accessibility of products, empathy, inclusion, and understanding. 

The State of Period Equity in the UK report includes recommendations for the government, schools, charities, community organizations, businesses, and employers to increase awareness and reduce the shame around periods. 

Recommendations include providing free period products in schools and workplaces across the UK and exploring ways to tackle the stigma around periods that include men and boys.

“There are bits and pieces happening. The community organizations we work with do phenomenal work by providing culturally sensitive, nuanced support and advice,” said Walsh. “But, we need to see that happening universally across the whole nation.”

For more information and to access the full report, visit inkinddirect.org.

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