SS18-03 MENSTRUAL HEALTH AT WORKPLACES AND THEIR EFFECT ON WOMEN’S WELLBEING AT WORK

Abstract

Introduction The World Health Organization, Human Rights Council in 2022 called on stakeholders to frame menstruation as a health issue. It committed to make health facilities, and other workplaces, menstruation responsive. This need became even more urgent at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic where women healthcare workers were required to be in coverall personal protective equipment (PPE) for long hours. Recent anecdotal evidence from the Kenyan media showed a company in the spotlight for harassing women employees on a menstruation related issue. It is against this background that this paper will explore legislation gaps on menstrual health at the workplace in Kenya. Materials and Methods A desktop review of legislation and policies on occupational health, public health and employment in areas that support menstrual health was carried out. Results The Occupational Health and Safety Act, 2007 highlights workers welfare in Part X but is limited to washing and sitting facilities, drinking water, first aid, accommodation for clothing. The Public Health Act only prescribes the ratio of toilets to the number of persons i.e. 1:25. While the Health Act , 2017 only prescribes on lactation stations and the Environmental Coordination Act (EMCA) only prescribes on waste disposal. Conclusions The legislation has glaring gaps in prescribing requirements for menstrual health in workplaces. This poses a challenge in implementation of requirements that are menstruation responsive as envisioned by WHO. Owing to the gaps in legislation with no specified law guiding on menstrual health at the workplace, employers are limited to implement menstruation requirements as they deem fit.