Things We Learn from Marvelous Mrs. Maisel About a Period-Friendly Workspace

It’s hardly a three-minute scene, but, it got me thinking. So what is it that our regular girl boss from the 1950s— Midge Maisel, has to teach us this time? Before I get into it, I must warn you of spoilers!

If you watched Season 3 then you’d know that Midge’s gig to open for Shy Baldwin hits the floor along with her dreams to travel the world. This, in itself, is a huge life lesson—Do not go bad-mouthing your boss when your career depends on it.?

Fast forward to Season 4, Midge has to pull it together and find work to sustain her posh Upper West Side life. Guess where she does she find work to make her ends meet, pay her father-in-law, sustain her lifestyle and her career? A Burlesque Show!?

One might wonder: What could you possibly learn about menstrual health and workspace from a Post World War II, Illegal, Burlesque Show Club? The answer is— A lot.

The first thing that caught my attention was when Midge being Midge, attempts to turn the club around. She meets the “investor” of the club and his not so gentile hitman. The club’s manager has a serious complaint, Mrs. Maisel has turned an “entertainment venue that caters select male clientele” into a gossip hub for women who want pink squirrels, and banana daiquiris with tiny umbrellas on them. He proceeds to say “over my dead boy am I buying those tiny umbrellas and those feminine product dispensers!” The “investor” to which says that the booze sales are up, the club is more crowded than ever before, so, order those tiny umbrellas and those feminine product dispensers, “I want my customers dispensed while they are here”?

There you have it, a feminine product dispenser in a post-world war strip club, not just for the customers but for the employees too, not to forget the tiny umbrellas and a raise for Mrs. Maisel. I know it’s fiction, I know the world doesn’t work that way but it’s been seven decades, and these feminine product dispensers are still a rare sight in public washrooms. It's not just feminine product dispensers, why is any conversation around periods a rare sight? And whatever conversations we have around menstruation end up being a blame game. From Gloria Steinem to Twinkle Khanna one argument that takes over these conversations is that “ the whole conversation around periods would be different if men had them too” and no one is denying that patriarchy plays a major role in taboo surrounding menstrual health but let’s move the conversation beyond that and #washawaystigma around menstrual health with an all-gender inclusive discourse.???????????????????????????????????????????

Mrs. Maisel highlighted the importance of listening to your co-workers. They might be hesitant to talk about their problems but keeping an open mind, understanding their needs, and giving them the basic resources should be a priority be it a burlesque show club or a corporate office. From talking about personal issues to initiating discussions on professional topics, I have to keep in what my coworkers are going through while building this community with me at work.

Another motto that Midge lives by and we can all learn is: Don’t hesitate to initiate. The stigma around menstrual health and women’s intimate wellness often stems from hesitance to talk about these issues. We need to embrace the awkwardness around menstrual health and let other people feel comfortable talking about it. We must create a period-friendly workspace not only for women to talk about it comfortably but also for others to not hesitate to listen and understand them. Corporates like Zomato, Swiggy, and BYJUs have taken the initiative to grant period leaves to their employees, an important policy that every workspace needs to be taken into consideration.?

The inspiration to strive for an all-inclusive workspace can come to you from anywhere and a show set in the 1950s is a perfect example of the same. Let’s #embracetheawakward one step at a time, initiating the conversations wherever we go.?