Mmabatho Montsho campaigns for menstrual leave in new docu

Filmmaker, actor and activist Mmabatho Montsho in her latest project brings awareness that period pains are more than a private struggle for women – they are a social, economic and workplace issue that deserves urgent attention.

Her new documentary, Marxism & Period Pains, forms part of the line-up at the ongoing Encounters Documentary Festival in Joburg and Cape Town.

Montsho reflects the work that went behind her documentary.

Why was it important for you to tell this story now?

It’s always been important because the film looks specifically at period pains and how it affects women in workplaces and schools. Many women have to work and many girls have to attend school and write exams while experiencing severe pain.

Yet period pain is often dismissed and not treated as a legitimate condition that requires accommodation. This documentary asks why something that affects women every month is still not considered important enough for serious discussion.

Menstrual leave is highlighted in the documentary. Why is it necessary?

It is a real reality. Many women experience that level of pain every month and they still have to show up at work or school. Women often go to work under those conditions because their wellbeing is considered less important than productivity and profit.

That’s one of the reasons the documentary is called Marxism & Period Pains. It asks why women are expected to continue producing labour even when they are experiencing significant physical discomfort.

What inspired the documentary?

I was researching herbal remedies for period pain. I work in the film industry, which is often a no-work-no-pay environment. If you don’t show up, you don’t earn money. While researching, I came across a study from Japan that examined the cost of period pain to the economy.

That immediately made me wonder where the research was on the cost to women themselves. What does it cost women financially when they miss work? What does it cost students who have to write exams while in pain?

What surprised you most while making the film?

Many women didn’t want to participate because they didn’t see it as something worth talking about. That’s how normalised period pain has become. Women are expected to endure it quietly. There’s also a lot of shame attached to menstruation.

It’s seen as a private matter, something that happens behind closed doors.

What are your thoughts on making sanitary products accessible for all?

Sanitary products should absolutely be free for girls. Young girls are not financially responsible for themselves. If they cannot afford pads, they also likely cannot afford medication for pain management.

Then they are expected to go to school and perform at the same level as everyone else.

Is SA ready to implement menstrual leave?

SA is one of the countries that could make it happen. We have a progressive constitution and a history of fighting for workers’ rights.

The first step is acknowledging that period pain is real and valid. Once we accept that, we can begin advocating for policies that support women.

What conversations are you hoping the documentary will spark?

I hope we start talking about women as workers again. Whether you’re employed in a formal workplace or caring for people at home, labour is labour.

Women do an enormous amount of work every day, often while dealing with physical realities that are ignored. I want us to have conversations about liberation and creating conditions that allow women to thrive.