What is the issue?
- Menstruation Benefits Bill was tabled as a private member bill in the Parliament earlier in the year.
- It is imperative to look at the significance of the provisions, for a gender sensitive labour policy.
What is the bill on?
- It seeks to provide working women two days of paid menstrual leave every month.
- It applies to women working in both public and private sectors.
- The Bill also seeks to provide better facilities for rest at the workplace during menstruation.
- It includes providing women the flexibility to take time off, and with options like working from home.
- The benefits are also extended to female students of Class VIII and above in government recognised schools.
Is this a new idea?
- Paid menstrual leave has been in practice since long time back.
- Bihar has had special leave for women for two days since 1992.
- Although, it is not explicitly referred to as the menstruation leave.
- Women can decide which two days of the month they would like to take off.
- Also, they do not have to provide any justification for doing so.
- In the recent past, some private companies in India have started offering menstrual leave.
- Several countries such as Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, etc also have menstrual leave provisions.
What are the concerns with it?
- It would prejudice employers against hiring women and lead to their alienation at work.
- Most women are capable of functioning at full capacity even during their periods.
- So, for the handful of women who do suffer unbearable symptoms, the existing sick leave option is adequate.
- Menstrual leave policies might discriminate against men.
- This is because women would get additional days off every year.
- However, the counter arguments are largely a reflection of continuing age old gender biases.
Why is menstrual leave significant?
- Menstruation is a perfectly natural biological process, not a disease or a disability.
- However, it can range from a slightly discomforting to a severely debilitating experience for women.
- Nearly 20% of women suffer from uncomfortable symptoms.
- These may include cramps, nausea, fever and weakness during their periods.
- These are debilitating enough to hamper their daily activities.
- Some women also experience reduced emotional control and decreased concentration.
- Over 25 million women suffer from endometriosis.
- This is a chronic condition in which period pain is so bad that women nearly pass out from it.
- It is true that periods are weakening only for some women.
- But the numbers are not insignificant to avoid a policy decision.
What is the way forward?
- The Bill takes gender equity discourse forward in a constructive and balanced manner.
- Implementation - Policy formulation would be meaningful only if backed by enforcement measures.
- Evidently, women are continued to be laid off for demanding maternity entitlements.
- Participation - Menstrual leave policies must be introduced alongside measures to increase workforce participation of women.
- Worryingly, the female workforce participation rate in the country has declined from 36% in 2005-06 to 24% in 2015-16.
- Measures aimed at reversing this decline are crucial.
- Workplace - Efforts at making workplaces more inclusive and gender sensitive is essential.
- Separate toilets for men and women with facilities for disposal of sanitary napkins should be ensured.
- The Parliament should take up the Bill on menstrual leave and hold a discussion on it soon.
Source: BusinessLine
