A painful reality, period

Swimmer Fu Yuanhui may have broken a taboo by talking about menstrual pain at the Rio Olympics, but 'menstruation leave' remains a distant dream for most female workers

When 27-year-old marketing specialist Wang Yina applied for two days' leave in September, she didn't cite the excuse of "stomachache". In her application to her boss, Wang said she was having her menstrual period, and cannot bear the pain.

"After Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui spoke in front of the camera saying she suffered from menstruation pain and lost a medal during the Rio Olympics, she broke the taboo on talking about period in public. She spoke about a problem shared by many female workers, and I no longer hide the true reason for taking a leave," says Wang.