JOIN USThe case for a menstrual leave policy
It's strange how we have to repeatedly bring up issues that impact women, hoping that things will change for the better. A key point is whether menstruating people should get paid leaves during their period days. The menstrual leave policy in India has long been contested, but the debate stands still. The need for such leaves, statistical analysis and bottlenecks for bringing in such a policy have been discussed later in this article. But the critical point is that as more women continue to enter the workforce, it becomes even more important to acknowledge the need for more equitable and comfortable working conditions.
What do we mean by menstrual leaves?
Menstruation brings pain, emotional problems, discomfort, and other health issues that make it difficult for people to work. Many advocate a day or two leaves each month to alleviate this discomfort. Menstrual leave refers to a specific form of time off for those who experience period pains. It recommends that workers be given leave from work while menstruating, just as they would for any illness. These leaves are not covered and are taken in addition to the usual sick leaves provided to all employees.
How menstruation is neglected and tabooed
Over the past decade, there have been several efforts put in by the government and various civil society organisations to raise awareness regarding periods. Despite these awareness campaigns and educational initiatives, talking about periods is still taboo in the country. We are far from getting conversations about menstruation normalised in our society. Period sensitivity is not even considered a topic for discussion, apart from a few educational institutes and corporate houses.
Due to its taboo nature, menstrual hygiene continues to be one of the most neglected issues that Indian women face. In a country where more than 355 million women are in the menstrual age, it is saddening to know that more than 75 per cent of them use an old cloth, which is often reused, ashes, newspapers, dried leaves and husk sand during periods instead of safer and hygiene methods of protection. Misinformation, superstitions, societal restrictions and poor access to sanitation facilities and menstrual products are all apparent indicators of the country's reality and levels of neglect.
Menstrual leave policies around the world
Nearly 100 years ago, in the 1920s and 30s, Soviet Russia relieved menstruating women from paid labour to safeguard their reproductive health, thus originating the idea of formal menstrual leave policy. In the late 1920s, labour unions in Japan popularised the concept, subsequently codified in Japanese Law in 1947. Japan's menstrual leave policy has stood for more than 70 years now, and it isn't the only country in Asia to have such a policy. In South Korea, period leave was implemented in 1953. Certain regions, businesses, and provinces are rapidly enacting menstrual leave laws in China that include a variety of privileges. Taiwan, Indonesia, Zambia are a few more countries that recognise menstrual leave and is a part of their employee leave policy.
Status of menstrual leave in India
Ninong Ering, a former Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha from Arunachal Pradesh, introduced the Menstruation Benefit Bill, a private member's bill, in 2017 to provide women working in public and private sectors with two days of paid menstruation leave each month. The bill triggered a debate.
However, there have been some landmarks in this domain previous to Ering's bill. Since 1992, the Bihar government has granted two days of period leave to female employees. Women can choose which two days of the month they want to work without having to justify their choice. Similarly, a Kerala girls' school has provided menstruation leave to its students since 1912. In the corporate world, companies like Zomato, Mathrubhumi (Malayalam News Channel), Wet and Dry (New Delhi based organisation) have introduced the menstrual leave policy in their organisations. Some other companies have introduced working from home for their employees. Despite some popular companies coming forward, the change has been slow and met with applause and criticism.
The biological significance of menstrual leaves
There are distinct biological differences between men and women. Women experiencing menstrual discomfort of any degree and suffering from illnesses related to menstruation, including dysmenorrhea, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, and mood disorders, may benefit from menstrual leave. Menstruation symptoms can disrupt some women's daily lives, making it harder for them to attend to routine daily tasks.
Women reported that, on average, their menstrual symptoms moderately affected their daily lives in a study of 762 participants, showing that 71.5 per cent believed dysmenorrhea to be a normal part of life for women. According to a study conducted in 2012, 20 per cent of women have painful cramps that significantly affect their everyday activities. A 2017 study on Dutch women also showed that "productivity was below par on more than 23 days of the working year with lost productivity totalling about nine days every year". This study also found that women experiencing menstrual symptoms were less productive for a third of the time (33 per cent).
It is also essential to keep in mind the social unacceptability of discussing menstrual symptoms, which can pressure women to keep their menstrual pain to themselves when they are at work and when interacting with coworkers. Menstrual leave could be an opportunity for women to speak up about their menstrual cycle and to recuperate or receive treatment in the case of health issues related to the menstrual cycle.
Arguments against menstrual leave policy
In a country where the word menstruation is met with raised eyebrows, a case for a menstrual leave policy faces several challenging arguments. The first argument is how women have been in the workforce for decades, and they have been managing well. Why do we all suddenly need to provide them with menstrual leaves? It is even more problematic because it has been normalised for women to do that or probably eat a Meftas plus (a pain-relieving medicine) every month to prove that they are equally productive to their male counterparts.
The other argument is that if menstrual leaves come into the picture, more organisations will further restrain from hiring women. Organisations across the globe have already found enough reasons not to hire women. This one is just an addition to the never-ending list of excuses. The argument supports the idea of women tolerating their anguish in silence to 'fit in'. By doing so, we are undoubtedly propelling the patriarchy cycle forward.
The economic case for menstrual leave
Many people argue that menstrual leaves hinder business and can prove to be economically harmful. But in reality, menstrual leave policies make a lot of economic sense, even if the benefits aren't immediately apparent. Employee dissatisfaction, in this case of people menstruating, usually affects the turnover and commitment towards their work and organisation. Menstrual leaves help boost people's faith and consequently their productivity at work.
Women's labour-force participation has been continuously reducing, falling from 42.7 per cent in 2004-05 to 23.3 per cent in 2017-18. Despite increased literacy and declining fertility rates, this is the case. This could be due to challenging and unpleasant workplaces. Menstrual leaves can help overcome the gap and encourage more women to enter the workforce—furthermore, policies like these help create a good brand image and a suitable market position.
A blanket policy directing exact leave days might not be the best answer to a societal problem. However, an approach like this can indeed bring about two positive consequences. First and foremostly, it will initiate healthy and progressive discussions about periods and menstrual hygiene in societal conversations. This can further help in sensitising the issue. Secondly, the policy can help create workspaces that are not discriminating based on gender but are more equitable, promising and safer.
(The authors are with The Takshashila Institution)
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author's own. They do not necessarily reflect the views of DH.
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