Recent discussions about menstrual leave and the expansion of paternity leave bring back to the center a topic that has gained relevance in people management: how the biological and social events that mark women’s lives influence the routine of workers and companies. On the international scene, this issue has been treated as the “4Ms” — menstruation, motherhood, menopause and miscarriage (miscarriagein English) — and, in some studies, as “5Ms”, when marriage is included. The common point among them all is that these milestones still help to explain differences in pace, permanence and pay between women and men.
Economic literature demonstrates that motherhood and marriage are two of the events that most influence the female progression curve. The work of Claudia Goldin, 2023 Nobel Prize winner for Economics, reinforces this panorama, by indicating that current inequality does not arise from a lack of qualifications, but from the way in which certain functions are organized and remunerated. The wage gap increases after the first child, because many work models still depend on the “always-present professional”. When companies better structure flows, schedules and substitutions, this effect practically disappears.
Menstruation, menopause and miscarriage, in turn, are part of health factors that can cause occasional absences and reduce productivity when there is no adequate care. Discussing these events does not mean creating differentiated regimes, but recognizing objective elements that affect a relevant part of the workforce and that can be addressed with well-designed policies.
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In recent weeks, two relevant projects have advanced in the Chamber of Deputies. The first deals with leave for women with debilitating conditions related to the menstrual cycle, based on a medical report and following the logic of other certificates. The second extends paternity leave from five to twenty days, which tends to better distribute parental responsibilities, increase bonds between parents and children and help reduce perceptions that historically only affect women.
Even before these agendas entered Congress, several companies were already adopting broader policies, such as extended parental leave, support for family planning and programs focused on women’s health. These are initiatives that, although they emerged in international headquarters, have been incorporated by Brazilian organizations that identify clear gains in attracting, engaging and retaining professionals.
From a regulatory point of view, Brazil has consolidated legislation on topics such as maternity leave, breastfeeding and leave resulting from spontaneous abortion. However, there are still gaps. The legislation does not currently provide for an equivalent mechanism for leave for fathers in situations where the mother or newborn is hospitalized. There is also no provision for fathers to be removed in case of bereavement after an abortion. Menopause, in turn, is still not treated in a structured way, despite affecting a significant portion of the female workforce. These points reveal room for regulatory improvement, but also indicate opportunities for companies that wish to anticipate future legislative discussions.
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The international comparison shows possible paths. Countries like Japan and Spain already have regulated menstrual leave. Nordic nations have adopted equal parental leave for decades. Menopause support programs are becoming more common in the UK. Although there are criticisms and fears of stereotyping, these models demonstrate that it is possible to implement policies without compromising productivity or competitiveness. On the contrary: many companies report improvements in employee satisfaction, team stability and a reduction in turnover.
In the Brazilian context, advancing this agenda requires understanding the profile of the workforce and identifying real needs. Mapping age groups, analyzing the incidence of health conditions and evaluating operational impacts are fundamental steps to building balanced policies. Legal action must be aligned with this movement, reconciling good practices with legal security and business sustainability.
The discussion about the 4 or 5 Ms is part of a broader modernization of labor relations. Recognizing how these events influence women’s professional lives allows us to structure more predictable, stable and productive environments. For companies, this means talent retention, more constant teams and reduced costs linked to turnover. For women, it expands opportunities for development and advancement. Understanding these dynamics is, at the same time, a management measure and a competitiveness strategy.
