No proposal for menstrual leave for female government employees

On Friday, the central government stated that no proposal to include menstruation leave in government ministries is currently being considered. Menstrual leave is a sort of leave in which a person may be entitled to take paid or unpaid time off from work if they are menstruating and unable to work as a result.

Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani informed the Lok Sabha that the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 do not include provisions for menstruation leave and that no proposal to incorporate such leave is currently being considered. Earned leave, half-pay leave, extraordinary leave, child care leave, commuted leave, maternity leave, leave on medical certificate, leave not due, and other types of leave are accessible to female government employees under these laws, according to the union minister.

While many private organisations are changing their leave policies to accommodate women, the government has "no such plan under discussion," according to the ministry.

May ladies faces multiple issues during the menstrual period. Dysmenorrhea is a condition that causes pain during menstruation in certain women. Even though they may report having some concerns prior to menstruation, up to 80% of women do not encounter problems severe enough to impede everyday functioning as a result of menstruation. In 20 to 30 percent of women, symptoms interfere with regular life, resulting in premenstrual syndrome. Symptoms are severe in 3 to 8% of people. PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) is a severe and debilitating form of premenstrual syndrome that affects 1.8–5.8% of menstruation women.

Meanwhile, in India, private enterprises and a number of start-ups, notably food delivery apps like Zomato and Swiggy, have implemented a menstrual leave policy for their staff. While Swiggy offers female delivery staff a monthly two-day time off policy during periods, Zomato announced a ten-day paid "period leave" policy for female and trans employees last year. According to the company's blog, the country's leading education app Byju's permits its female employees to take up to 12 Period Leaves (PELs) per year.

Many countries across the globe have rules or provisions for menstrual leave. In Indonesia, under the Labor Act No. 13 in 2003, women have a right to two days of menstrual leave per month though these are not additional leaves. In Japan, since 1947, follows the rule that  "When a woman for whom work during menstrual periods would be especially difficult has requested leave, the employer shall not employ such woman on days of the menstrual period." In South Korea, female employees are entitled to menstrual leave according and are ensured additional pay if they do not take the menstrual leave that they are entitled to. In Taiwan, the Act of Gender Equality in Employment gives women three days of "menstrual leave" per year.