Menstruation Leave in India: Still a Point of Contention?

Menstruation Leave in India: Still a Point of Contention?

Riya Thakur

Executive Summary
Even though it's the 21st century, in India, talking about menstruation is still frowned upon. Despite repeated period awareness campaigns and various education initiatives throughout the years, the corporate workplace culture and attitude toward periods do not support period sensitivity. Therefore, it is difficult and contentious to have an open conversation regarding menstruation leave in India.

In order to speak up and create room for more empowering topics like period leaves in Indian companies, we need empowered people. According to the Clinical Evidence Handbook, 20% of women have symptoms like cramps, nausea, etc. that are severe enough to interfere with everyday activities.

The Menstruation Benefits bill was submitted in the Indian parliament in 2018 and mandated that businesses.

The  Menstruation Benefit Act,2017
The  Menstruation Benefit Act,2017.  Ninong Ering, an Arunachal Pradesh Lok Sabha member, made the idea for four days of paid period leave for every woman in the public and commercial sectors in 2017. She submitted it in the Parliament. According to the proposed legislation, any woman who chooses to work during menstruation will receive overtime pay and will also receive two 30-minute breaks each day for a maximum of four days. Along with a fine, it also suggested a sentence of certain time in jail. Since 1992, Bihar has been the first state in India to grant its female employees two days of paid period time. Companies that offer period leaves in India include Byju's, Zomato, Culture magazine, and a few other names. A period regulation in Indian businesses that benefits women in the workplace and in educational institutions was the driving force for the bill's introduction. On the opening day of the budget session in 2022, this bill was brought up once more, but the Legislative Assembly ignored it because it was a "unclean" subject.

Need of the Bill
This measure, which was submitted in the parliament after realising the extreme complexity of a woman's biological system and the physical suffering she experiences during her period, is urgently needed. According to research conducted in 2017 by University College London, a woman's menstrual discomfort is comparable to the pain a person feels after a heart attack. Additionally, the pain makes an employee less productive, which has an impact on their work.

A Pipe Dream: Period Leaves in the Unorganized Sector According to a Firstpost article, 94% of Indian women work in the unorganised sector. Since many years ago, menstruation has been a taboo subject in casual settings. It will take time to introduce period leaves to the unorganised sector. It is believe that if these large firms take the initiative to implement paid time off, they will undoubtedly have an effect on rural areas as well. The state of the unorganised sector is worse than we realise. Many males aren't even aware that they have periods. The fundamental issue is that these people must be educated about it. Many women in this industry manage their households while working daily jobs, making it impossible for them to leave. The Madhya Pradesh government and Sky Social NGO have collaborated closely to establish good menstrual hygiene measures in rural areas. Sky Social's founder and chairman, Srishti Pragat, said: "In this nation, the informal economy employs over 94% of women. Many women have daily jobs and do not have the luxury of taking even one day off. Because these women are unable to discuss their periods, it has become a personal matter. These ladies cannot even use the restrooms on the building sites, let alone be in a setting that is secure and sanitary." She recommended that the government get involved, propose regulations, and make the necessary changes to the current labour laws.