What: A national Australian labor union is pushing for the country’s “National Employment Standards” to include reproductive health leave for all employees. The policy could cover time off for “menstruation, perimenopause, menopause, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, IVF treatments, vasectomy, hysterectomy and terminations.”

Why it matters: “As our research showed, the effects of reproductive health issues ripple through workplaces and extend to the Australian economy. Workplace rights in Australia are typically grounded in men’s experience of life and work. The “ideal” worker is an individual, typically a male, who has no external obligations or bodily demands outside their work. Women’s bodies in the workplace are often seen as problematic, unreliable and weaker because they can menstruate, be affected by disorders of the menstrual cycle, and can experience menopause.”

Source: The Conversation