Should women who have unbearable menstrual pain get a day or two off every month? This is an evolving debate and as of today only a handful of countries and companies give their female employees the option of taking days off or working from home in case of difficult menstruation. Four of the five countries that mandate compulsory menstrual leave— Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan—are in Asia. Nike is the most notable global company to do it. In Nepal, Sastodeal.com, an online shopping portal, is a notable outlier.

 

When Sastodeal first introduced the policy in 2016, it had as many admirers as critics. Many were of the view that giving women the option of taking leave or working from home during the most painful days of their monthly cycle was a ‘just’ policy: you cannot victimize women for their biology. According to Sastodeal, menstruating women are given the option, as they might not feel at ease and might not be as productive as on other days.

 

But there were also many who opposed Sastodeal’s decision. Won’t the women who can work perfectly well during their periods abuse the provision? Internationally, too, it is a contentious topic. For instance, some women’s rights activists believe such policies will further discourage companies from hiring women, who are already judged negatively for their long maternity leave and time taken off to raise children.

 

The men APEX talked to for this report also had varied responses. Some said they could say nothing conclusive on the topic since they will never experience the hardships of many menstruating women. Others thought the leave should be granted only in serious cases. Then there were those who were entirely hostile to the idea, arguing women already get much ‘leeway’ in the workplace.

 

APEX is glad to be contributing to this evolving debate in Nepal. Nepal can boast of the most progressive women-friendly policies in the whole of South Asia, starting with women’s 33 percent representation at all levels of government. Menstrual leave or not, perhaps the country can also take the lead in making its workforce more women-friendly, and thereby encourage more of them to take up gainful employment

 

Is a menstrual leave policy viable in Nepal?

  When Sastodeal, a Nepali online shopping portal, introduced a menstrual leave policy for its female employ­ees in 2016, the decision was both applauded and criticized on social media. Menstrual leave is a type of leave where a menstruating woman has the option of taking paid or unpaid leave if she is unable to go to office. In Sastodeal’s Facebook post announcing the policy, many people weighed in on whether menstru­al leave was a good or a bad idea. “Great initiative. It will reduce the chances of taking those pain killers, which in long run cause harm to us. But as we need to work in office, we are bound to take them and work,” Monika Jaya Pant wrote.

 

Surbhi Bahety, a human resource representative at Sastodeal, says that among their 20 female employ­ees, on an average, only around 25 percent use their monthly one-day menstrual leave. This, she says, shows that the leave is not being misused. Nor has the policy elicited any negative feedback from staff.

 

“Menstrual leave is important as many women face unbearable cramps, nausea and bloating, especially on the first day of their period,” she adds. “They are thus given an extra day of leave on top of other types of leave they get every month.” She adds that even if these women come to office, they might not be as productive as they are on other days and not feel at ease. So they have the option of working from home or taking a whole day off. According to Bahety, this policy encourages wom­en to apply to Sastodeal, even as it does not affect the hiring process in any manner.

 

Menstrual logic

Many complained that this policy may create problems. The main concern was that women could misuse the leave. But Sanjog Thak­uri, who has been working on men­strual hygiene issues for the past six years—and is also a founder of ‘Hami Daju Bhai’, which works on gender issues—says any leave can be misused. “This does not mean there should be no sick leave. This logic applies to menstrual leave as well,” he says.

 

Some men, in their Facebook posts, joked they wished they had periods too so that they would get extra leave. Some questioned if the women are not embarrassed let­ting their co-workers know they are menstruating. Others wished other Nepali companies would follow suit.

 

Internationally, too, there is a debate over the necessity of men­strual leave. Last year, when the Vic­torian Women’s Trust, an Australian company, introduced a menstrual leave policy, it stirred a worldwide debate. Kylie Lang, Associate Editor at The Courier Mail, wrote that a menstrual policy will “only prove a disincentive to hiring women, and there are already enough of those, including maternity leave and lon­ger breaks from the fulltime work­force to raise children.” Meanwhile, menstrual leave has been legal in Japan since 1947, as well as in South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan and parts of China.

 

But in Nepal, most of the liter­ature on menstruation is either about extreme menstrual practices (Chhaupadi) in Far-Western Nepal or menstrual hygiene education in schools. Publications about men­struation in formal workplaces seem almost nonexistent.

 

Johannah Mitchell, a Cornell Uni­versity student, undertook a study titled ‘Power to the Period: The Role of Menstruation in Nepal’s Formal Workplace’ in 2017. She shares that there were many moments during the research that she questioned herself if a menstrual leave policy was even an issue in Nepal that need­ed attention. “Dustbins may have not been present in several of the facilities, and there was talk [mainly among healthcare employees] of menstruation interfering with work life, but really, how prevalent a topic is this? Does menstruation play a role in the workplace?” Her final answer: “Yes”.

 

There were moments during the research that Mitchell questioned herself if a menstrual leave policy was even an issue in Nepal

 

Cramped for room

Mitchell writes that although only a small percentage of Nepali women work in a formal workplace, she believes that “in terms of counter­acting menstrual stigma, the work­place is the perfect place to start.” Further, in workplace environments that lack a culture of open commu­nication and where gender discrim­ination is strong, she says that “the topic of menstruation is a perfect gateway for discussion regarding these pressing issues.” She con­cludes that although menstruation may play only a small role in the workplace, it is far from irrelevant.

 

Women face problems at work, to varying degrees, due to menstru­al cramps. Sushmita Mahat, 23, a Nepali nurse in Australia, says that she was told off by her employer this January when she asked for leave due to her menstrual cramps. The employer, also a woman, said that since Mahat had her period every month, she would take leave every month, which made her unfit for the job. Mahat was heartbroken and had to finish her shift despite unbearable pain.

 

She later found that she has a con­dition called Dysmenorrhea, which makes the first day of her period “horrible”. She then submitted a medical report to her supervisor, whereupon she was legally entitled to one day of leave every month when needed. She says having a menstrual leave policy in place ben­efits working women in many ways.

 

Sharmila Bhattarai, 21, who is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree and working part-time at a call center in Kathmandu, is relieved that her boss is accommodating when she has period cramps. “I tell him I have ‘ladies’ problem’ and he tells me that if I am finding it hard to con­centrate, I may leave for the day.” Pooja Gupta, 25, a saleswoman at a clothing store in New Road, also thinks two days of paid menstrual leave will make things a lot easier for women.

 

Lah Puka Chhen is a restaurant in Kathmandu run by two wom­en, Renusha Pradhan and Alina Manandhar. They say that paid men­strual leave is necessary but add that women should not abuse it for it to be sustainable. “Many women get severe cramps during their period so at least one day of leave should be given,” says Manandhar.

 

Show must go on

But there are women who think it is unnecessary. Sunita Singh, 41, who works in Basantapur Durbar Square Conservation Program, says, “It is normal and happens to most women. But if it is extremely painful, then they may take leave.” She adds that a woman needs to be careful and should carry essential things required during her period. She recalls the time when she faced difficulties in school when she first had her period. “It was a really hard time, especially because we did not know how to handle our periods. The blood used to stain our skirts. But now, as girls grow older, they learn how to handle it.”

 

Alize Biannic, who runs Solis Per­forming Arts and has been leading various dance groups in Nepal for the past four years, says that she has dealt with more females than males in her industry. “But I cannot real­ly give leave to women when they menstruate.” Instead, she asks them to participate as much as they can. She encourages them to do medi­tation, which she says helps lessen the severity of the cramps. “While I understand that some women can­not even move on the first day of their period, the show must go on,” says Biannic.

 

What men think   “Paid menstrual leave is necessary but businesses would not give them. Companies only think of profits and if they give leave to women, they may think they will incur loss.” Janardan Karki, 21, Student at Amrit Science Campus “There are both positive and negative effects of giving menstrual leave. But I think leave should be given to women if they can’t focus properly.” Sushobhit Shrestha, 29, Garment businessman “Paid menstrual leave is important. But a lot also depends on the situation and the person.” Rajkumar Shahi, 45, Manager of a small art gallery in Basantapur “It is a women’s problem, so go ask them whether they should be given menstrual leave. Men don’t understand what women go through during their periods.” Nebin Man Shrestha, 50, Owner of a handicraft shop in Freak Street “In my experience, most women are shy about telling others they are on their periods. So isn’t giving menstrual leave too far-fetched? Also, not all women get cramps during their periods, so who decides if they deserve the leave?” Rasik Acharya, 23, Medical student at Enam Medical College in Bangladesh “Paid menstrual leave is great. I think at least two days of leave should be given. If there are many women in the workplace, it would not affect the day-to-day activities much if one of them is absent.” Khurshed Alam, 39, Owner of a clothing shop in New Road I don’t think my opinion as a man counts because I don’t know how big a problem women face during their periods. But I think menstrual leave is necessary. Women say when they are menstruating, it is physically painful. Nischal Kayasatha, 21, Student at Kathmandu University