The right to rest: why South African women should get menstrual leave

Bontle Moka, founder of the Heal Endo Movement, highlights that the current menstrual health debate in parliament extends beyond free pads. Moka emphasizes the need for the law to recognize that for many South Africans, menstruation is a debilitating, whole-body battle. The proposed Menstrual Health Rights Bill aims to ensure access to safe period products and workplace support for severe pain, including for women with endometriosis. Moka warns that if the Bill does not formally recognize chronic menstrual conditions, women may feel compelled to misrepresent their health. She states that taking a day off without pay individualizes a systemic health issue, forcing many to work through debilitating pain. Nokuzola Ndwandwe, founder of Team Free Sanitary Pads, shared her experience of working through severe period pain in a male-dominated workplace before her endometriosis diagnosis. Ndwandwe believes expecting women to bear both the cost of menstrual products and health consequences is a failure of economic justice. Moka envisions a Bill that includes workplace accommodations like heating pads and remote work options, and covers flare-ups and premenstrual dysphoric disorder episodes. She stresses that employees must be protected from discrimination due to their condition, viewing menstrual health as a human right. Moka advocates for specialized training for GPs in public clinics to enable early identification of endometriosis, and for the legislation to pivot from 'hygiene' to '