Source : mashable.com
Menstruation is still one of the major hush-hush words in India, people don’t even speak of it in informal situations let alone in a workplace environment. However, the need for menstruation leave has garnered quite the attention on social media. Recently Spain passed a law and became the first European country to allow women the option to take menstrual leave for three to five days. The news has not gone down well with certain parts of society (aka most men) and it shows how our country still lacks empathy or knowledge about menstruation or the pain it leads to.
The law passed by Spain has upset many people in India and some even took to their social media accounts to express their disapproval. One Twitter user said, “Paid maternity leave, paid menstrual leave. Kaam nahi, ehsaan karti hai mahilaayein (women are doing favours and not working.” Another said, “As someone who employs 45 women staff, not a big supporter of this 3-5 days per month paid menstrual leave..that Spain has recently announced. As a patient are you ok if your Dr/dentist postpones your appointment citing period leave? For nonserious professions, it might do.”
Both tweets have infuriated Twitter users, saying how they reek of privilege/ignorance and lack of compassion and understanding. One Twitter user responded by saying, they’d rather have their Dr/dentist postpone their appointment than be operated on when in pain.
It isn’t just men, even women often brush off period pain as normal. You might have seen your own mother or sister do the same. Or take pain killer thrice a day to subdue the pain and go about their daily tasks. Even most professionals brush it off saying, period pain is something we just have to live with every month. But truth be told, periods should come and go with minimal disruption.
The pain and cramps are often a sign of some hormonal or nutritional imbalance and/or underlying health condition. Reports have revealed that ideally one’s cycle should be accompanied by minimal discomfort in the first two days of the menstrual cycle. Most women face severe pain during the first three days of their period, enough that daily tasks are harder to get through. Not only does it impact productivity on the day, but the built-up exhaustion takes away from their confidence, efficiency, and more.
Menstruation has never been acknowledged altogether nor has it been up for discussion. It has always been thought of as something women just have and live with, in a good or bad state. It is unfortunate that this has been the reaction when the law was passed abroad. It’s concerning how people would react if a law is passed in India.
Now reports have revealed that the Supreme Court of India is also set to hold a hearing for a plea filed regarding menstrual leaves for female students and working women on February 24, 2022. For the unversed, India already has a state, Bihar which has been providing two days of menstrual leave since 1992. On the other hand, back in 1912, a Government Girl’s School in Cochin allowed students to take period leaves during their exams and allowed them to appear for re-examination.
Recently several companies in India and across the world have also incorporated period leaves. Shraddha Shenoy, Founder of Lex Mandamus LLP and WE: Women Empowerment announced Menstrual Leave Policy for their employees back in 2022. She called it “a significant step towards promoting gender inclusiveness and acknowledging biological differences between employees.”
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