93% of women who experience menstural pain say that it affects their ability to work
As many as 76% of women in Hong Kong say they have had menstrual pain, and among those women who have had menstrual pains and have worked, 93% say that menstrual pain has affected their ability to work, according to research by YouGov.
The data also suggested that women find it difficult to tell their employers about menstrual pain and around a third of women in Hong Kong have never admitted to their employer that this was the case. A further third told their employer that troubles caused by menstrual pain were down to some other reason, while 34% said neither of these—implying that women may well not let on about feeling unwell to their employer in the first place.
Over half of Hong Kong women surveyed agreed that menstrual pain affects their ability to work by making it harder to concentrate. Four in ten had to take a short break because of the pain, and half either had to go home early or take a day off because of the pain.
Global attitudes to menstrual pain do seem to be changing. Countries including South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan have laws in place allowing women time off work when they are menstruating—with Taiwan’s three days off a year for menstrual cramps being the most 'generous'. 87% of Hong Kong women support similar measures being introduced.
Paul Arkwright
Publisher
