Maternity leave is given to women with pay. Similarly, there has been a long unfulfilled demand to give paid leave to women for menstruation. Congress member Shashi Tharoor raised a question about this issue in Parliament. Rashtriya Janata Dal member Manoj Kumar also questioned this in the Rajya Sabha.
Responding to this, Union Women and Child Welfare Minister Smriti Irani said, “Menstruation and menstrual cycle for women is not a handicap, it’s not a defect.
It is also a natural part of women’s life journey. Don’t propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because someone who doesn’t menstruate has a certain perspective on menstruation.
Some women/girls suffer from severe dysmenorrhea or similar problems. Most of these problems can be treated with medication. However, menstrual cycle and its associations are often treated with shame.
Also the mobility, freedom and normal activities of menstruating persons are restricted. This often leads to harassment and social exclusion.
A draft policy on menstrual hygiene has been formulated in consultation with the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,” he said.
The central government has already brought a scheme to improve menstrual hygiene among girls in the age group of 10-19 years. A Public Interest Litigation was filed in the Supreme Court demanding that working women be granted leave with pay during menstruation. Some private companies in India allow women to take 10 days leave per year during menstruation.
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