The Labor government has announced several policies and spending commitments aimed at addressing gender inequality in its second budget since being elected. However, legal and human rights experts say one important issue has been overlooked: menstrual justice.
The policy blueprint authors say many of the evidence-based recommendations are low cost, but will have significant impact. Photo: Adobe Stock.
A coalition of scholars, activists, and policymakers from across Australia, led by law researchers from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), is calling on the federal, state, and territory governments to do more to tackle menstrual injustice.
Associate Professor Linda Steele and Professor Beth Goldblatt, from UTS and Professor Margaret E Johnson, a Fulbright Scholar visiting UTS from the University of Baltimore, have authored a new policy blueprint titled “Menstrual Justice: A Human Rights Vision for Australia”.
The evidence-based recommendations have been developed by leaders across diverse sectors, including law, Indigenous women’s health, disability advocacy, children’s rights, and industrial relations.
Menstrual injustice is defined as the oppression of people simply because they menstruate.
“While we are pleased to see some significant commitments to improving women’s disadvantage – in order to reach true gender equality, we need menstrual justice,” said Associate Professor Steele.
“We need laws that clearly outlaw workplace discrimination and harassment against menstruators, so no one is fired for bleeding on the job or being late to work due to period pain.”
While we are pleased to see some significant commitments to improving women’s disadvantage – in order to reach true gender equality, we need menstrual justice.
Associate Professor Linda Steele
Professor Johnson said society does not fully accept and accommodate menstruation as normal.
“In the past year alone, news reports have shown how menstrual injustice is linked to gender inequality, a lack of economic opportunity, poor health outcomes, and human rights violations,” she said.
Recent instances of discrimination reported by Australian media include locked bathrooms at schools, inadequate supply of free period products, harmful menstruation-avoidance options for athletes, the lack of menstruation and menopause employment leave policies, and the mistreatment of people imprisoned who menstruate.
“Menstrual injustices can compound the marginalisation of individuals already subject to other injustices, including students, people on low-incomes, those who are imprisoned, people living with a disability, Indigenous people, and remote and low-wage workers,” said Professor Johnson.
Professor Goldblatt said governments have addressed some of these menstrual injustices. For example, all states and territories provide free period product access in schools and Victoria will soon be providing free product access in public places.
“Such initiatives are critical and helpful. But they are isolated and do not tackle important pieces of the equality puzzle,” said Professor Goldblatt.
The menstrual justice policy recommendations cover areas of public awareness, curriculum, schools, workplaces, public buildings and housing, institutional settings and discrimination and coercion.
“Many of these recommendations are low cost but would without a doubt improve human rights for women and people who menstruate,” said Professor Goldblatt.
The authors of the policy blueprint are urging governments to consider their recommendations ahead of Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28 May.