Bodies at Work : Reproductive Life and the Unfinished Business of Gender Equality

Envisioning a new world of work that accommodates the reproductive body, including aspects considered taboo—menstruation, fertility, and menopause Women have never been considered “ideal” workers; they menstruate, have babies, sometimes miscarry—and after all that comes menopause. Feminist activists have worked for decades to achieve critical workplace reforms such as paid maternity and parental leave, flexible hours and antidiscrimination protection for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. But other aspects of women’s reproductive lives go largely unaddressed: menstruation, miscarriage, fertility treatments, abortion and menopause. Bodies at Work takes up these issues, often considered taboo in the workplace, to examine the relationship between work and the reproductive body over the life course. The authors point out that such supposedly messy concerns of reproductive life are increasingly relevant in a global labour market shaped by ageing populations, declining fertility and the rising participation of women in paid work. But can these issues be addressed without reinforcing gender inequalities? The authors argue that the notion of an “ideal” worker—body-less, care-less, willing to dedicate all one’s time to a job—is an artefact of a bygone era. What is needed instead is an “ideal workplace” that respects and accommodates the reproductive body. They examine global approaches to policy design, funding and implementation for building genuinely inclusive and diverse workforces that deliver both gender equality and economic security. Bodies at Work challenges us to reimagine a world of work in which the reproductive body is not only fundamental to who we are but essential to the work we do.