Today's Video Headlines: 03/18/26
NAIROBI, Kenya — It started with a casual lunch conversation between a county governor and his cabinet ministers about a colleague’sThe new policy took effect in December 2025. It grants county government employees in the capital, Nairobi, two days off every month to deal with the pain and discomfort ofBeryl Anyango, 27, holds a reusable sanitary towel made for distribution to girls and women in the Kibera informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya , on Feb.
12, 2026.Eunice Cheserem, a specialist obstetrician-gynecologist, sits in her office during an interview with The Associated Press in Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 16, 2026.“Your biggest asset is your staff,” said Sakaja, who shepherded the new practice and oversees a government where more than half the 18,000 employees are women. “It starts with dignifying your own staff, for them to feel that they’re respected and dignified.”There has been little public objection. Critics have said the policy could discourage employers from hiring more women, but Sakaja disagreed, saying he believes that women perform better than men when they are supported.Women sew reusable sanitary pads inside the Fempad NGO workshop in the Kibera informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 12, 2026.“A lot of labor policies were written many years ago by men,” the governor said. “Women’s rights are not anti-productivity — they are an input that createsHe said there would be no financial impact, as the county has more than one person for each role. “It will not be a train smash if three or four people in a department are not there for a day or two,” he said.Japan adopted a menstrual leave policy in 1947. The latest was Spain in 2023. Other countries include Indonesia and South Korea.Volunteers sew reusable sanitary pads inside the Fempad NGO workshop in the Kibera informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 12, 2026.In Africa, only Zambia has a nationwide menstrual leave policy. It allows female workers to take one day per month without having to provide a note from a health care provider. “The feedback we have gotten, especially from the staff that work in public service management, is that it’s very refreshing. And when they come back, they are able to work even better,” said Nairobi County Human Resource Manager Janet Opiata.A woman does laundry outside her home in the Kibera informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 12, 2026.The policy is a “no-questions-asked, no-forms-filled” arrangement and offers paid leave alongside the usual sick and annual paid leave enshrined in labor law. Nairobi has implemented the policy using a cabinet decree and an internal memo from the human resource office.Marion Kapuya, a 25-year-old revenue officer with the county, said the policy has already made a difference. “Working with pain or discomfort can lead to mistakes or low productivity,” she said. “When you take the break and you are relieved from the pain, your performance will be top-notch.”Women walk through the alleys of the Kibera informal settlement to fetch water on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 12, 2026.“Before I get to a point of saying, ‘Excuse me, sir, I am on my period and I don’t feel OK,’ it is so hard,” she said. The Nairobi county governor said he received feedback that even with the policy, it could be embarrassing telling a manager that days off were for menstrual leave. Oil spikes after Iran says world's largest gas fields hit in strikes, vows to attack Gulf oil production in retaliationUS college student reported missing after night out in Spain during spring break trip A Nairobi private-sector worker, Christine Akinyi, called two days a great start but said it should be increased to four days. She also expressed concern, however.Menstrual challenges include vomiting or severe headaches A Nairobi-based gynecologist, Eunice Cheserem, said severe menstrual pain is common in 50% of the women she sees at her clinic. Kenya does not have national data on menstrual pain. “If a woman gets severe menstrual pain, she actually ceases to be functional. Some will get vomiting, severe headaches, they vomit everything, they have diarrhea, they have very terrible “Some respond to conventional analgesics, but very many need very, very strong analgesics for them even to be able to function.” Cheserem said the new menstrual leave in Nairobi county offers needed rest and a chance for women to take care of themselves. Oil spikes after Iran says world's largest gas fields hit in strikes, vows to attack Gulf oil production in retaliationIranian police commander pleads with Israeli agent 'please come help us' in dramatic leaked callBeryl Anyango, 27, holds a reusable sanitary towel made for distribution to girls and women in the Kibera informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 12, 2026.Eunice Cheserem, a specialist obstetrician-gynecologist, sits in her office during an interview with The Associated Press in Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 16, 2026.Women sew reusable sanitary pads inside the Fempad NGO workshop in the Kibera informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 12, 2026.Volunteers sew reusable sanitary pads inside the Fempad NGO workshop in the Kibera informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 12, 2026.A woman does laundry outside her home in the Kibera informal settlement on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 12, 2026.Women walk through the alleys of the Kibera informal settlement to fetch water on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, on Feb. 12, 2026. Stream It Or Skip It: 'Imperfect Women' On Apple TV, Where A Murder Unearths Secrets Among A Group Of Longtime Friends
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