Jamaica Faces Growing Calls for Menstrual Leave and Wider Access to Sanitary Products

Pressure is mounting on Jamaica to introduce menstrual leave and expand access to sanitary products for women and girls who face monthly hardship at school, in the workplace, and in public settings.

The issue took centre stage at the International Beauty Expo at the National Arena in St. Andrew, where women's health drew attention from local and international wellness specialists. The three-day event opened on Friday and concludes on Sunday.

Shelly-Ann Weeks, founder and executive director of the Her Flow Foundation, told the gathering that menstrual health remains low on the national agenda, particularly in places where people work and conduct business.

"When your period starts, you don't care if you have supplies at home that evening. You go into the bathroom and there is no tampon available. There's no pad available. There's nothing," she said.

Weeks said period poverty is especially acute in schools, where many girls have little or no access to sanitary products each month. The Her Flow Foundation is working with the government on a pilot project to address the gap.

"About 44% of Jamaican girls are impacted by period poverty. That means whenever they have their periods, they do not have the funding to get access to menstrual products," she said. "It can impact the way they attend schools. Some of them stay home from school. Some of them use alternative measures to manage their periods that can open them up to infections and other challenges."

She noted that Jamaica still has a long way to go compared with other countries that have drafted policies granting women time off during menstruation.

"Overseas, what has happened, they have different levels of menstrual leave. Some countries they give up to five days. Some countries give one day. Some countries require a doctor's certificate. Some countries don't. What I'm proposing is for them to consider it," Weeks said.

The push for action comes as advocates intensify demands for concrete policy steps to end period poverty and strengthen menstrual health support across Jamaican institutions.