KOCHI: Scores of women endure physical, psychological menstrual distress and yet make it to work, thanks to the fear of being judged ‘underproductive’. Period leave is a subject that needs to be understood better
Mahima Anna Jacob
Menstruation has, for years, been a tortuous experience for Shari, a 31-year-old civil engineer based in Thiruvananthapuram. Severe cramps in the abdominal region, heavy bleeding, nausea and dizziness made the very thought of ‘that time of the month’ traumatic. The ordeal, Shari recalls, began as she turned 22. “Periods were normal until I graduated from college,” says the UPSC aspirant. “However, the growth of a subserosal fibroid, diagnosed much later, caused excruciating pain. I used to take three painkillers a day during periods. Over time, I had to rely on injections.”
Shari got the fibroid surgically removed, but her plight remained the same. “Subsequently, I was diagnosed with endometriosis (a uterus disorder). It can only be managed, not cured. I have to keep my body weight under check, and take medicines for 20 days, from the start of menstruation every month.”
Shari says “excessive bleeding and the excruciating pain” have often forced her to take leave from work. “I can barely move during those days,” she says.
“Due to the guilt of not being able to be productive at work, I used to work overtime while not on my periods. I did it so that my superiors don’t look down upon me.”Eventually, however, Shari ran into loss of pay, and decided to quit the job. She rues losing several opportunities in life due to her medical condition.
Over 10 lakh women in India are diagnosed with endometriosis every year. Medical analysts believe the actual incidence rate would be way higher.Moreover, they add, there are scores of normal working women who pop pills, and bear similar discomfort and pain, to show up at work. Most of them do so as to avoid taking leave and be judged as ‘underproductive’.Shari wishes companies provide an “option to take a day or two off while on periods”. She believes it would, in effect, enhance the productivity and output of women employees.
Is menstrual leave policy a far-fetched idea?
A recent public campaign held in Kerala saw men volunteering to experience induced period pain. Not many could endure the social experiment. There were reports of some fainting, too.
The videos of men going through the drill went viral, and spurred discussions and debates on ‘what a woman goes through during periods’. It was heartening to see many men advocating period leave for women.
According to media reports, nine Indian companies, including Zomato, Byju’s, and Mathrubhumi, offer period leave currently. Among states, Bihar holds the distinction of allocating two days of period leave for female government employees up to the age of 45. Notably, as a government policy, menstrual leaves are allowed to women in Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
In India, former Arunachal Pradesh MP Ninon Ering had introduced the Menstruation Benefit Bill in the Lok Sabha in 2017. The private member’s bill proposed four days of paid menstrual leave in a month for girls in high school and above, and women in the public and private sectors.Now an MLA, Ninon recently presented a similar bill in the Arunachal assembly, too. Sadly, the subject is yet to be discussed widely. It is often dismissed to the hush-hush zone.
Leave ‘interrogation’
In Kerala, meanwhile, some women allege there is an unhealthy practice of “interrogation” before taking leave, an employee’s basic right.“Recently, we raised the issue of period leave. The top officials, most of them men, did not welcome the suggestion,” Nidhi Sebastian, an RJ.
“Majority of them are averse to a sudden change in the system that has been in place for long. A question that often pops up is on using up existing leaves provided to all the employees. But think about it, if employees who have painful periods take a day or two off every month, they may end up being short of leaves in case of emergencies. Then, there is also the issue of stigma, and being judged.”
Aren’t bosses more ‘understanding’ these days? “As long as it is not an official company policy, in the eyes of one’s superiors, a leave is just another leave. And as per old-school thought, it is a sign of being underproductive,” says Nidhi.
“If companies introduce a period policy, it would be a shot in the arm for working women. Menstruation causes physical as well as psychological discomfort for many women. Having friendly policies at the workplace would boost their morale and performance in the long run.”
Will menstrual leave increase discrimination?
Introducing such leave policies at workplaces could, in fact, fuel bias against women employees, says Dr Veena J S, an assistant professor of forensic medicine at the PSG Institute of Medical Sciences & Research, Tamil Nadu.
“Already there have been reports of MNC managements holding a bias against newly married or unmarried women, as they fear the company would have to provide maternity leave,” she notes.
“Similarly, period leave may discourage companies from hiring more female staff. Also, with such a policy, female employees could be put through emotional harassment, or teasing.”
Veena suggests companies should first set mandates on having a fixed number of women employees in the organisation. “That would ensure there is no drop in hiring due to period leave policies,” she adds.
‘Does your company care for you?’
Advertising professional Malavika Nambiar says the belief that one’s “company cares about you” would only encourage an employee’s dedication to work.
“Since I am a fresher, I don’t have many leaves,” she adds. “Period pain and discomfort varies month to month. Once, it was unbearable, and I took a day off. I requested special consideration, but it was turned down. So that day’s pay got deducted. When you get consideration such as period leave, it will boost the worker’s morale.”
Malavika adds “identifying and understanding” an employee or co-worker’s needs would go a long way in “building a good team or work system”.
On the question of menstrual leave policy leading to discrimination, a Mathrubhumi employee, who requests anonymity, says the company offers one “menstrual off” every month.
“There has been no hint of bias here. I’m a person who gets excruciating pain and heavy bleeding, so getting a day off to recoup is a boon,” she adds.
Doctor’s view
Even in today’s society, the complexity of menstruation remains obscure. “For 70 per cent of women, premenstrual syndrome (PMS) starts a day or two before the day of menstruation,” says Dr Anitha S Pillai, senior consultant gynecologist at GG Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram.
“This includes mood swings, abdominal pain and cramps in the legs. Women usually would be in an emotionally labile state. Then, there are conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, and pelvic inflammatory disease. Women who suffer from such conditions will experience unbearable back pain, heavy bleeding and nausea for four days. Hence, period leaves should be welcomed and encouraged.”
What the law says...
High Court lawyer Parvathy Menon notes the directive principles of state policy under the Constitution — Article 39 (e) — emphasises on the health and strength of “workers, men and women”. “Also, the right to life, under Article 21, is a fundamental right that covers the right to livelihood, too. Subjects such as sanitation and menstrual health also come under the ambit of Article 21,” she says.
Lawyer Sandhya Raju, director Centre for Constitutional Rights Research and Advocacy, highlights that advocates of period leave often ignore trans-men and non-binary individuals. “They also experience period ordeals like women,” she says. “We must ensure they are also considered while discussing policies.”
What needs to be done?
Of late, we have been witnessing several campaigns promoting awareness and menstrual hygiene. The latest one that created a buzz in Kerala was the ‘Cup of Life’ initiative, which entered the Guinness Book of World Records for distributing one lakh menstrual cups free of cost in 24 hours.
Such campaigns do get noted on social media, but the subject is seldom discussed amid the larger section of society. “There are cases where women are still asked to sleep on the floor during periods. One of my friends, a doctor, had to go through this at her in-laws’ place,” says Veena.
Change should start with the education system, she adds. “It is vital to give children, from a very young age, education about their bodies and rights. One shouldn’t know about his/her/their body through campaigns,” says Veena. “Educational institutions and syllabi should take care of that.”