Society

Iyla Qaiser

Out of Sync: Women’s Productivity Discourse and the Marginalization of Women’s Cyclical Hormonal Biology

A close-up portrait of a young woman with medium skin tone, long, straight dark brown hair parted down the middle, and brown eyes. She has a gentle smile with light pink lips and is wearing a light lavender collared shirt. The background is softly blurred indoors.

Hi, I am Iyla Qaiser, a fourth year Professional Communication student at Toronto Metropolitan University’s The Creative School.

My studies focus on feminist organizational theory, workplace equity, critical discourse analysis, and I have a growing interest in mental health advocacy and the way institutional structures impact women’s psychological wellbeing. Human behaviour and the psychology behind communication genuinely fascinate me, and that curiosity is what makes every research question feel personal.

I am building a career across public relations, marketing, publishing, editorial work, events, and strategic communications, spaces where critical thinking, cultural awareness, and strong writing truly matter. I have hands-on experience in developing marketing campaigns, report writing, web design, and client facing communications, and I currently work in an administrative role where clear communication, stakeholder management, problem solving, and the ability to stay composed under pressure are part of every single day.

Outside of academics you can usually find me exploring vintage markets, travelling somewhere new, getting lost in a good film, or capturing moments through my camera. I believe the best communicators are endlessly curious about the world around them, and that is a mindset I carry into everything I do.

 

Out of Sync examines the tension between women’s cyclical hormonal biology and the linear productivity expectations that have influenced professional environments for nearly a century. Drawing on feminist organizational theory, critical discourse analysis, and a mixed methods approach combining social media analysis with peer-reviewed medical research, this study investigates how women navigate hormonal health in workplaces that were never designed to accommodate them. Through thematic analysis of 75 publicly accessible posts across Reddit, TikTok, and Instagram, three dominant navigation strategies emerged including concealment, strategic reframing, and cycle syncing. The findings reveal that every available strategy places the full burden of adaptation on the individual woman while workplace structures remain entirely unchanged. This research argues that meaningful progress requires structural reform, not individual adaptation, and positions hormonal health in the workplace as a communication equity issue as much as a health one.

Lightning Talk

Browse More Society Research

More Projects

A professionally lit headshot of a young man with East Asian features, dark curly hair with a fringe, and brown eyes. He has light stubble, small silver stud earrings, and is wearing a blue and black horizontal striped crew-neck sweater over a black t-shirt against a smooth gray background.

Vince Cabansag

Building Visibility: Entrepreneurial Narratives on Social Media
A friendly, brightly lit headshot of a young woman with a warm smile, facing forward. She has long, wavy dark brown hair, dark eyes, and natural-looking makeup. She's wearing a black polo shirt with an open placket and a silver necklace featuring a small, square red pendant. A subtly blurred indoor or office environment is visible in the background.

Lea Kulevska

The Desire for Permanence in a Disappearing World: The Rise of ‘Analog’ and Gen Z’s Emotional Resistance to Algorithms
A close-up, well-lit headshot of a young man with fair skin, dark brown wavy hair, and brown eyes. He has small gold hoop earrings in both ears and a faint five o'clock shadow. He is wearing an olive green ribbed t-shirt and two gold chain necklaces, one with a small dark teardrop pendant. He looks directly at the camera with a neutral expression against a plain light gray background.

Dylan Jordan

Greening the Ward
Scroll to Top