The issue of paid leave for menstruation in India
The Sabrimala temple issue was one that ruled our collective consciousness.
It was unfathomable that menstruating women were deemed ‘unfit’ to enter a temple.
Echoes of ‘menstruation is not a disease, but a natural phenomena’ could be heard all around. The demand for paid leave for menstruation works to undermine it.
Menstrual cycles can be challenging and almost debilitating for some.
But to collectively label all those belonging to a gender without considering the potential adverse effects.
The World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2021 says that the gender global gap has widened (instead of shrinking).
In the current situation, it would take the world 135.6 years to achieve gender equality.
Looking at it specifically at the workforce level, a woman earns 84 cents for every dollar that a man makes.
The participation of women in the labour force is significantly lower than that of men.
Even fewer women hold leadership positions.
If one adds mandatory paid leave for periods to this, it would end up further dissuading companies from hiring women.
If the government ratifies ‘special status’ for menstruating women, it validates the social stigma around menstruation.
The most recent National Family Health Survey report has highlighted how approximately 50% of women between the ages of 15 to 24 in India continue to rely on the use of cloth for menstrual protection.
Experts caution that reusing cloth can increase the risk of contracting multiple infections, attributing this practice to a combination of insufficient awareness and societal taboo around menstruation.
Girls are often compelled to leave school or face social exclusion during their menstrual cycles.
Arguments in favour of paid leave for menstruation will claim that granting special status to menstruation would aim to create subject awareness.
There are countries such as Japan that provide leave for painful menstruation- but it is mostly unpaid, and unused.
Women claim that they are reluctant to avail this leave and ‘broadcast’ that they are on their period, for the fear of sexual harassment.
This is the situation (today), even though this policy was introduced in Japan more than seven decades ago.
Data shows that a mere 0.9% of women in the workforce avail menstrual leave days in Japan.
As per the World Economic Forum’s ranking in 2019, Japan ranked 121 out of 153 in terms of gender equality.
It has slipped to the 125th position in 2023.
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