The debate triggered by menstrual leave

A week ago, Lumbini Province made headlines by being the first province to introduce menstrual leave. While a large number of people, both men and women, congratulated the provincial government for being sensitive toward women’s needs, some critics were too quick to ridicule it. Those in support acknowledged the state’s empathy toward women who undergo physical and mental (still) pain when they have their cycles and that they need accommodative arrangements at the workplace. Those who did not approve the leave considered it was an added luxury for women.

A few days later, similar but stronger voices were heard in India when Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, spoke against the need for specific policies related to menstruation as she termed it was not a ‘handicap’. The statement resulted in a wider discussion on the topic. Critics gave examples of women in sports who do not have the liberty to take a leave on a match day; some suggested that women could avail normal sick leave instead of a new type of leave. While the supporters of the leave talked about equality in real terms as men and women have different biology and different health needs.

I am neither a human resources expert nor am I an expert on menstrual hygiene, but I am a woman who has undergone this process to give birth to two kids and am familiar with women who experience menstruation-related pain or problems. In fact, numerous studies conducted in Nepal and abroad have shown that girl students are more likely to miss school during their menstrual cycles. To address the issue of this absenteeism, schools started providing free sanitary pads and menstruation health management became a topic of health awareness.

Working women also face problems when their periods start suddenly or suffer from excessive bleeding. In general, menstruating women suffer from cramps, low back pain, fatigue, discomfort and migraine, among others. It is hard for them to give their hundred percent during these days.  Even renowned organizations in Nepal that advertise ‘women-friendly workplaces’ do not provide basic support such as a resting place or access to sanitary pads. It’s a women’s issue and does not affect men so it’s challenging to convince the higher-ups in organizations (mostly men) to make the arrangements for women.

Men do not have to worry if their clothes get stained or if they leave some chairs marked. Women have to! Women have to worry about engorged breasts too if they can’t feed their newborns on time. While the Nepal government has introduced female-friendly workplaces by providing lactation rooms and day care centers, private organizations and non-government organizations are way behind.

Women’s different needs should neither be understood as luxury nor handicapped as Irani put it. It’s just that they are differently built and undergo difficult phases in different stages of their lives. Young girls start menstruating around the age of 10-12. A woman has to deal with this cycle and the discomfort that it brings 48 days or 1.5 months a year. Then during motherhood, a woman’s womb goes through expansion and contractions. The hormonal levels mess up and many face depression. Very important to note here is not everyone is lucky to be a mother as many pregnancies end in miscarriages. Special attention should be provided to those women too. Let us also not forget the special preference for a male child that can lead to sex-selective abortion; the mental trauma associated with these are huge. Women activists and feminists have strong reasons to advocate for women’s rights over their body.

Fortunately, my periods are kinder to me and I don’t go through a lot of pain but I have friends and family members who do. The troubles don’t end even when women begin to experience menopause. Since men do not go through these phases in life, women’s needs must be accommodated in workplaces, one of which can be a paid menstrual leave. If there is a question of productivity or effective performance, there are hundreds of ways to monitor that.