Nepali Women at Work
Menstruation in Informal and Formal Workplaces
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12310856 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Srijana Karki (0000-0001-7679-5522, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, corresponding author), Tamara L Mix (0000-0001-6697-2011, Oklahoma State University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 33 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1595-1605 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-28 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Gender Work and Organization (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0968-6673 • E-ISSN: 1468-0432 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/gwao.70144 |
| OpenAlex | W7142976750 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 38 |
Women of specific castes in Nepal are socialized to adhere to a range of menstrual customs. Drawing on semi‐structured interviews, we examine the relevance of menstrual customs in informal and formal workplaces in Kathmandu, Nepal. We expand upon Acker's work on gendered institutions cross‐culturally, highlighting its global significance, and employ thematic categories of hypervisibility, invisibility, and need for visibility as Nepali women navigate conflicting expectations associated with menstruation. We engage with postcolonial feminist perspectives to explore how Western‐centric expectations influence formal workplace dynamics. Menstrual customs remain pertinent within the informal employment sector, where paid work caters to the needs of the private domain. In formal workspaces, menstrual customs are not culturally embedded but influence respondents' interactions with coworkers. Informal and formal workplaces in Nepal operate as gendered institutions using women's bodily processes as a form of control and exclusion. Cultural contexts, interactions, and formation of individual identities allow informal workspaces in Nepal to facilitate the production of gender, class, and caste relations. Formal workplaces lack institutional policies to address the needs of menstruating women, instead maintaining a culture of concealment. We highlight the importance of recognizing bodily functions in creating thriving work environments and fill a research gap by addressing the implications of menstrual customs in informal and formal workplaces
Informal sector · Menstruation · Negotiation · Nepali · Relevance (law · Safeguarding · Thematic analysis · Thriving · Work (physics · Menstrual Health and Disorders · Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior · Sociopolitical Dynamics in Nepal
Purity and Danger
Issues of Blood
Capitalizing on the Curse
Menstrual health challenges in the workplace and consequences for women’s work and wellbeing
“Under Western Eyes” Revisited
Assessing the Role of Caste/Ethnicity in Predicting Menstrual Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices in Nepal
Blood Work
This is a natural process’
Fashioning Gender
Menstrual hygiene in South Asia
Breaking the Silence
In the steps of Joan Acker
Stigma, sustainability, and capitals
Look at YOU!”
Black lives and bodywork matters
Gender, bodies and identities in organization
Truth Scribbled in Blood
Material flows
Navigating the patriarchal bargain
A Note on Sanskritization and Westernization
From Sex Roles to Gendered Institutions
Out of order
Ambiguous Bleeding
A Step-by-Step Process of Thematic Analysis to Develop a Conceptual Model in Qualitative Research
Hierarchies, Jobs, Bodies
Inequality Regimes
Not all Differences are Created Equal
| Highly cited | No |
|---|