I am very pleased to move this motion in the Assembly today. Back in October 2022 I introduced a motion calling on the ACT government to develop, in consultation with relevant stakeholders, a menstruation and menopause policy within the ACT public service. The intent of this policy was to help employees within the public service to meet their work commitments while managing the impacts of menopause, perimenopause and menstruation.

The motion also called on the government to develop an education and awareness campaign to accompany the policy. This aspect aimed to reduce stigma around reproductive health matters in the workplace. Without this kind of education and awareness-raising, the stigma and judgement around periods and menstruation in workplace settings will continue to make people who might need to take extra leave or request workplace adjustments to just persevere or use their personal leave.

I am pleased to see this work on my previous motion progressing. In their report back to the Assembly following my motion, the ACT government confirmed that they are in the process of developing the policy. At the time, ACT public service bargaining was the focus; however, once this had concluded, detailed work on the policy would begin. With the bulk of bargaining now completed, I have been informed through subsequent briefings that there will be a focus on completing the policy and meeting the calls-on of my original motion.

Today, I am introducing a motion that expands on the original motion, which will help to ensure people in the workplace who experience menstruation, menopause and perimenopause are better supported across all workplaces and not just in the ACT public service. My motion today is calling on the ACT government to develop an education and guidance package that the private sector can access and implement within their workplace to ensure employees who menstruate and experience menopause are better supported.

I will reiterate once again why I am so passionate about helping to address the stigma and shame that exist out there in our community when it comes to menstruation and menopause. Periods have been taboo and stigmatised within our own society and culture and, indeed, within most, if not all, societies and cultures over the centuries. This has included taboos to do with the discussion of periods, particularly in the presence or directly with men; undertaking certain daily activities; sleeping in different beds in cultures where you would normally sleep with other people; religious cleansing rituals; and even banishment from the community for the duration of menstruation every month. All or some of these practices still occur in different places around the world and they even occur here.

From my perspective, the one that is still the most present in our society is the taboo on discussion, particularly in the presence of or directly with men, and when you do speak up you are often chastised or ridiculed. But menstruation and menopause are serious matters with significant social and health impacts, and we need to start responding to them with an openness and maturity that centuries of shame have prevented. You cannot be what you cannot see, and the way we omit menstruation out of our day-to-day existence makes it very difficult to be a person who menstruates and to get on with it without shame or stigma, it being a normal bodily function that affects half the population on a regular basis.

Reform and progress when it comes to reproductive health is something that I am very passionate about. After decades of women struggling for equality within the workplace—for equal pay, for remaining in the public service once married and forfreedom from discrimination—we are finally arriving at a point where we can have this conversation about reproductive health and begin to change workplaces to improve outcomes for workers.

Removing obstacles to period management and reducing the stigma associated with periods are themes that I have been doing a lot of work on through this term of government. I have heard from and spoken to countless constituents, Labor Party members, stakeholders, friends and families about these topics, and the main thing people tell me during these discussions is, “This is great,” and, “I wish this was done when I was menstruating or going through menopause.”

Discussion about the idea of menstrual leave has been on the rise within the organised workforce and civil society in Australia for a little while and is becoming more noticeable. In the survey I ran in conjunction with consultation on my Period Products and Facilities (Access) Bill, 85 per cent of respondents supported the idea of investigating the potential for paid menstrual leave. Fundamentally, the interest in this issue arises because of the impact that pain, complications and management associated with periods can have on those who menstruate in the workplace. Almost half of the population may need to use their personal or other leave entitlements due to the management needs of their periods at some point in their career. For those who regularly have more painful periods, this can have a large impact on their leave entitlements, and this can subsequently lead to a loss of pay and superannuation if personal leave is exhausted.

Early menopause can also be particularly crippling for those who go through it. In many cases, those who experience early menopause experience stronger symptoms. This has
a big impact on the working life and outcomes of people who experience menopause. For example, the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees compiled data and estimates that menopause costs Australian women billions in lost earnings and superannuation
each year. They calculated that if 10 per cent of women retire early because of menopausal symptoms, it would equate to a loss of earnings higher than $17 billion.

But it also has a personal impact on many individuals in our workplace. Following my motion in 2022, I received several emails of thanks. One that has stuck with me is this one. This person told me about their recent medical needs, all focused around their uterus, as they put it, and how it had meant that they had to use their annual leave to seek treatment. They were burnt out but could not take a break as they had exhausted their leave entitlement to seek health care. They also spoke about menopause symptoms they were starting to experience and how the workplace was not an easy fit with these and noted that having a responsive workplace that considered the menstruation and menopause needs of all people would be life-changing for them and many others. They signed their email off by saying, “I hope that for all the women, trans and non-binary people can have access across all sectors in the future.”

If workplaces in this country can be more accommodating, understanding and flexible regarding those experiencing these changes and the associated symptoms, fewer people are likely to be part of that cohort who miss out on income and superannuation either due to leave exhaustion or the need for early retirement. This would have great benefits not only for those individuals, but for the economy as a whole.

Part of this increased accommodation for both those experiencing period pain or menopause symptoms could include particular leave provisions to help avoid leave entitlement exhaustion. However, I would note this is not a single fix-all. Education and awareness and some cultural change would aid immensely in improving the experience of those going through symptoms in the workplace. Including hot water bottles in office first-aid kits, allowing people menstruating to work from home so they can wear comfortable clothing that may not be suitable for an office, allowing fans at desks to help with hot flushes—these are all accommodations that are within our capabilities to implement. We just need to make it permissible and normal.

The motion I have presented to the Assembly today calls on the government to create a package that the private sector can use to inform how they support their staff, to alleviate some of these pressures in the workplace that come from menstruation and menopause. In developing this package, I am calling on the ACT government to consult with community leaders who have expertise in this policy area. I note community organisations such as Women’s Health Matters, for example, have a very helpful information package available for organisations and businesses to access. It would be such a missed opportunity if the ACT government and other businesses did not work with community leaders like Women’s Health Matters when developing their responses.

In closing, I would like to reiterate that half the population experiences menstruation and menopause and it is vital that we, as a community, understand the impacts and ensure that people who menstruate and experience menopause are not made to feel mistreated or judged for a natural bodily function. We spend much of our life in a workplace environment, so it is crucial that our workplaces have access to the resources that can educate and support all employees to go about their daily work life.

I thank the colleagues in this chamber around me who have opened up and shared their experiences over my many motions on menstruation and menopause, as well as the community at large who support and continue to encourage me to work in this area of reform. Women and people who menstruate are not going anywhere and neither are our natural bodily functions. The best thing we can do is support one another, educate people and remove the stigma and taboo associated with periods and menopause.

I commend my motion to the Assembly.