micmic encounters

Studies from phallus-centered scientists and physicians portray menstruation as a symptom of a disease which severely limits women’s activities (just like what colds, flu and cough viruses do to us). (Mary Putnam Jacobi 1877, pp. 14, 21) How can a perfectly normal biological phenomenon be a disease? How can it be called a ‘sick time’ for women? Unless of course you call urinating and perspiring, which are both normal biological phenomena also, diseases.

It seems that this so-called scientific study would like to reinforce that women, in general, are physically and emotionally handicapped during menstruation and therefore can’t and may not compete with men. This is basically the same argument being propagated by capitalists in rationalizing why women should be employed next only to men (aside from the fact that it is ‘naturally’ assumed that men are the breadwinners of their families and that women’s work outside the house is considered only as an auxiliary income). Although one must also admit that eventually, these income-centered businesses hired women as employees, they were mostly over-worked and underpaid and they have contracts stating that they should never get pregnant while employed; the rationale is that a pregnant woman will avail maternity leaves therefore interrupting work and therefore will be more costly for the company. This led to the discrimination amongst married and single women workers.

As a whole, this gaga over the menstruation and work only reinforces the ‘natural’ place of women, which is in their houses.

Interesting to note that the women during the late 1800s, to denounce such a sexist policy, proposed monthly refusals to work to emphasize the economic and work impact / delay if women were to be stopped from doing work outside the home.  (Eliza Bisbee Duffey 1874; quoted in Mary Roth Walsh 1977, p.129)

Come to think of it, given the rationale between menstruation and women’s work, the teacher, who is most likely a woman, will also have to excuse herself from work; therefore interrupting the school calendar. Moreover, it should also be argued that, women in general, should also have a three to four days leave in their domestic duties every month.