Over the past few months, you've probably heard the phrase:
"Women only get one good week a month."
It's often shared with good intentions.
The message is usually that women experience hormonal fluctuations throughout their menstrual cycle, and we should have more compassion for ourselves as our bodies change.
I agree with that.
What I don't agree with is the conclusion that women only have one week each month when they're capable, productive, or at their best.
Because that's simply not what the science tells us.
And the way we talk about women's bodies matters.
Hormones Influence Us. They Don't Define Us.
As women, our hormones naturally fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle.
Estrogen rises and falls.
Progesterone rises after ovulation.
Some women experience bloating, breast tenderness, fatigue, mood changes, or menstrual cramps.
For some, those symptoms are minimal.
For others, particularly those with conditions like PMS, PMDD, endometriosis, adenomyosis, or PCOS, they can be incredibly disruptive.
Those experiences are real.
They deserve validation.
But there's an important difference between saying:
"Hormonal changes can affect how you feel."
and saying:
"Women only function well one week a month."
Those are not the same statement.
We've Spent Centuries Arguing That Women Are Too Emotional to Lead
Historically, women's biology has often been used as an argument against their participation in public life.
Women were considered too emotional to vote.
Too irrational to become physicians.
Too unstable to lead businesses.
Too hormonal to hold positions of power.
Even today, women in leadership are sometimes described as "emotional" for displaying behaviors that are considered decisive or passionate in men.
So when we repeatedly tell women, and society, that they only get one "good" week each month, we have to ask ourselves:
What message are we reinforcing?
Because ideas like these don't exist in isolation.
They shape how employers think about women.
How colleagues perceive female leaders.
How girls view their own potential.
And even how women view themselves.
The Menstrual Cycle Is More Than Productivity
One thing I find concerning is how often the conversation around menstrual health has become centered on optimization.
What's your best week for presentations?
What's your worst week for negotiations?
When should you exercise?
When should you make important decisions?
While understanding your body can absolutely be empowering, we have to be careful not to reduce women's worth to how "productive" they are during each phase of their cycle.
Your menstrual cycle isn't a report card.
It's a normal physiological process.
You don't need to earn your value by having a perfect hormone profile.
Not Every Woman Experiences Her Cycle the Same Way
Another reason I dislike blanket statements like "one good week" is that they erase how diverse women's experiences really are.
Some women notice very few changes throughout their cycle.
Others experience debilitating symptoms that interfere with daily life.
Neither experience is more "normal."
And if your cycle consistently causes severe pain, heavy bleeding, significant mood changes, or symptoms that prevent you from living your life, those aren't things you simply have to accept. They deserve medical evaluation.
We Can Validate Symptoms Without Limiting Women
I want women to understand their hormones.
I want us to normalize talking about periods.
I want workplaces to recognize menstrual health as part of overall health.
But I don't want us to accidentally replace one harmful narrative with another.
Women are not less intelligent because progesterone rises.
Women are not less capable because they're menstruating.
Women are not unfit to lead because their hormones fluctuate.
We can acknowledge that hormones influence how we feel without suggesting they dictate what we're capable of.
The Way We Talk About Women's Bodies Matters
Language shapes beliefs.
Beliefs shape culture.
And culture influences the opportunities available to women.
So instead of saying:
Women only get one good week a month.
Maybe we say:
Women experience natural hormonal fluctuations throughout their menstrual cycle, and every woman's experience is different. Understanding those changes can help us care for our bodies with more compassion—not limit what we believe we're capable of.
Because our biology should never become an argument against our potential.
It should be another reason we build a world that supports women, not one that asks them to prove they're capable despite being women.