Painkillers, hot water bottles – and a day off work: the benefits of a period policy

The Bristol company allowing female staff time off for painful periods is leading the way in the UK, but the principle is already established in other parts of the world

UK company to introduce ‘period policy’ for female staff

Bristol firm says letting women take time off during menstrual cycle will make workplace more efficient and creative

Welcome to Mirabel: the first centre supporting rape survivors in Nigeria

In a country of 170 million where sexual assault is described as ‘endemic’, a small facility in Lagos is helping women where the law and authorities fail

There’s no such thing as ‘mild’ FGM. It’s still child abuse

Two US gynaecologists argue that some forms of female genital mutilation should be legalised – but as a midwife I know there’s never a justification for this devastating practice

Yes, women should choose their maternity care. Why isn’t it happening now?

Baroness Cumberlege’s report proposing personal birth budgets is what many women have wanted for decades – the tricky bit is putting it into practice

Susie Orbach: ‘Not all women used to have eating issues. Now everybody does’

What has changed in the four decades since Fat is a Feminist Issue was first published? Its author talks about workplace culture, the rise of body dysmorphia and why exporting western body ideals to China is a form of cultural imperialism

‘Don’t push down your grief’: our readers describe the pain of a miscarriage

Many women experience miscarriages, yet it’s a subject that’s often not discussed. Our readers offer their advice on coping with loss

‘I’d always thought I would fight for my child no matter what. But I didn’t’

Forced to decide between a severely disabled baby unlikely to live long, or a late abortion, Joy Freeman chose the latter. She talks to people who faced a similar choice and finds that men and women deal with it very differently

Vaginal ‘detox pearls’: the latest in our toxic obsession with disinfection

Old advertisements urging women to ‘douche regularly with Lysol’ may seem antiquated – but some new products and procedures aren’t so different

I’m a survivor of female genital cutting and I’m speaking out – as others must too

My aunt cut my genitals when I was seven years old. The culture of silence surrounding this FGM/C means laws alone won’t stop it

OurChemist

Our Chemist – Health