Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani has voiced her opposition to the idea of mandatory paid menstrual leave for women employees.
Responding to a question by MP Manoj Kumar Jha in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Irani stated that menstruation is a natural part of life and shouldn't be treated as a handicap requiring special leave provisions.
“As a menstruating woman, menstruation and the menstruation cycle is not a handicap, it’s a natural part of women’s life journey,” Irani said.
Warning that menstrual leave could lead to discrimination against women in the workforce, she added, “We should not propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint towards menstruation."
However, acknowledging the importance of menstrual hygiene, Irani announced the formulation of a draft national policy by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This policy, developed in collaboration with stakeholders, aims to improve awareness and access to proper menstrual hygiene management practices across the country.
The Union Minister also highlighted the existing 'Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)' scheme, aimed at adolescent girls from 10 to 19 years old. Supported by the National Health Mission, this scheme focuses on enhancing knowledge about menstrual hygiene through various education and awareness programs.
This announcement follows a report presented in Parliament on Monday, which indicated that the matter of special menstrual leave is considered a health issue and falls under the purview of the health ministry for examination.
The topic of menstrual leave has been a point of contention, with Spain recently passing legislation allowing painful periods as a valid reason for paid leave, marking a first in Europe.
However, within the Indian context, there is currently no proposal under consideration by the government to mandate paid menstrual leave across all workplaces, as clarified by Irani in response to a question from Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on December 8.
