If you regularly suffer from menstrual cramps or pain, you are not alone. About three quarters of menstruating people will experience dysmenorrhoea during their reproductive life. But what causes this pain?

with Andreea Hardware, International Women's Health & Development Researcher and Menstrual Health Consultant

With approximately half of the population menstruating and most people working half their lives, menstruation and work simply cannot be separated. Yet, even though menstruation is a natural process and a part of so many people’s lives, there is still a stigma attached to it. Especially at the workplace, menstruation is not seen as an appropriate topic to discuss. 

With Maria Carmen Punzi, PhD candidate at the Rotterdam School of Management and passionate menstrual cycle awareness advocate

Although it is generally understood that women* can experience symptoms related to their menstruation, little attention has been paid to the way menstruation-related symptoms (MRSs) affect women in the workplace. With women accounting for roughly half of the labour-force in Europe, this topic deserves more recognition. The ongoing silence around it has led the discussion about menstruation to be tabooed. This is worrisome because the period stigma is not only problematic for menstruating employees but also for employers and society as a whole.