Menstruation and Corporate Blindness: Gendered Silences in Professional Life - Cases from Turkey and the World

This study examines the reflections of the biological, psychological, and socio-cultural challenges faced by women employees during menstruation on their professional lives. It reveals how menstruation is overlooked in the workplace through the clash between women's biological realities and corporate structures shaped around male norms. The impact of societal taboos on workplace policies and practices is evaluated, and the hormonal and emotional changes experienced during menstruation are analyzed in terms of their effects on work performance. The study also explores the silent struggles of women employees, the practices of invisible labor, and institutional responses to demands for menstrual leave. It presents a comparative evaluation of menstrual leave policies in countries such as Japan, South Korea, and Indonesia, alongside menstruation-friendly practices in the European Union and Scandinavian countries. Finally, the study offers recommendations for developing institutional models that prioritize women's health, are supported by psychological support systems, and are grounded in gender equality. In this context, it emphasizes that biological differences should pave the way not for social exclusion, but for institutional inclusivity.