Should women have the option to take leaves when they are menstruating? Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani opposed a policy for paid menstrual leaves in the Parliament, adding that it may lead to discrimination against women in the workforce.
In response to a question on whether the government was taking any measures to make it compulsory for employers to provide menstrual leave, she said: “As a menstruating woman, menstruation and the menstruation cycle are not a handicap; it’s a natural part of women’s life journey…” But should menstrual leaves be seen as an umbrella term, considering some women suffering from endometriosis or dysmenorrhoea go through painful and physically paralyzing experiences?
On the other hand, a recently released draft menstrual policy by the government is quite progressive, stating that work-from-home or support leaves should be available to women so that there is no discrimination against them. “It is important to emphasize that such arrangements should be available to all, to prevent perpetuating stigmas or assumptions about productivity based on menstrual cycles,” the policy reads. The policy has also been made inclusive, acknowledging menstruation in “trans and the non-binary population.” The government has been working on a scheme such as the Jan Aushadhi selling affordable Rs 1 pads.
Of course, Irani clarified that her comment reflected her viewpoint. “Given today women are opting for more and more economic opportunities, I will just put my personal view on this as I’m not the officiating ministry. We should not propose issues where women are in some way denied an equal opportunity just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint towards menstruation,” said Irani in response to the question posed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha.
source: https://indianexpress.com/