CHENNAI: Earlier this month, the subject of paid menstrual leave came up in the Rajya Sabha, when Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Jha posed a question about whether the central government would accommodate the same, as a matter of policy.
Representing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, MP Smriti Irani responded: “As a menstruating woman, menstruation and the menstruation cycle is not a handicap, it’s a natural part of women’s life journey… We should not propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint towards menstruation.”
Irani has repeated a version of what Rachel on Friends memorably and succinctly said: “No uterus, no opinion.” Yet, what she presents as a mansplain scenario is anything but. People who menstruate are the ones who initiated the issue of paid menstrual leave, and made it a political talking point — one which people who don’t menstruate can also offer allyship for, as Jha appears to be doing.
Intriguingly, other Asian countries already have long-term models in place for paid menstrual leave, in addition to other sick leaves, which means India is lagging. Japan instituted menstrual leave in 1947, with partial or full payment observed in most workplaces. South Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia, all have their versions of policies: from a day, a month to three days a year, with fines for non-compliant employers. It should be noted that Bihar brought in paid menstrual leave in 1992; Arunachal Pradesh and Kerala have also attempted to introduce such bills. Irani and other naysayers may envision scenarios in which all women disappear from their respective workplaces for five days every month, but that’s far-fetched.
What activists on this issue request is merely the option of discretionary leave. Absence is neither mandatory nor will most take up the option regularly. While work ethic differs across cultures, statistics from the last five years indicate that only 0.9% of Japanese menstruators and 19% of Taiwanese menstruators surveyed used this leave allowance. Paid menstrual leave is one of numerous changes that will make workplaces more welcoming for women, who have also been statistically proven to have left the Indian workforce in droves in recent decades, and whose participation remains low, at just 37% as of this year’s reports.
While it would be most important for those with debilitating menstrual problems, even if one does not avail the leave, the awareness that provisions have been made for unique challenges instils a sense of being accounted for, if not valued as well. In that sense, paid menstrual leave would encourage the equalising of work opportunities, on both practical and psychological levels — not the denial of them. This is not to dismiss other workplace issues: pay inequity, discrimination, plain old hierarchical and human toxicities. Paid menstrual leave is just one step, one that is not difficult for companies to set up — whether or not a law requires it.
Certain Indian companies — notably successful startups — have introduced it already. Menstruation is a fact, and for some, it is a handicap. Taking this into account can assist careers, break taboos and foster inclusivity.