Written by, Aug. 17 -- Akshita Pandey, Moitrayee Das

Even when a woman hunches over in pain on her desk at the office, she is expected to reply to all emails with a smile. She is expected to be productive and professional despite the pain that runs throughout her body, the fatigue that clouds her mind, and the nausea that secretly plagues her during this time. But once the issue of menstrual leave hits the public sphere, the topic inevitably turns away from pain to speculation. Will they use the leave wrong? Will companies stop hiring them?

Menstrual leave has become widespread in various parts of the world, but the adoption of such policies has revealed an even more awkward reality regarding contemporary workplaces. Organizational stru...