Do women need a break when menstruating?
There is much to cheer for female students in Kerala. The Pinarayi Vijayan-led government is mulling granting menstrual leave to students enrolled at state universities falling under the Department of Higher Education.
Kerala higher education minister, R Bindu, said on Monday (16 January), “Taking into consideration the mental and physical difficulties faced by female students during menstruation, necessary steps will be taken to implement menstrual leave in all universities”, reported PTI.
Noting that menstrual days are an “emotional roller coaster” for many, the minister said, “Let the girls relax during the difficult days of their menstrual cycle”.
This comes in the wake of a similar decision implemented by the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT).
Lauding the varsity, Bindu said it was for the first time in Kerala that an education centre has taken the call to provide menstrual leaves to female students.
What is a menstrual leave? How will CUSAT extend menstrual benefits to its students? Why do menstruating people need such leaves and why do some oppose them? Let’s take a closer look.
What is a menstrual leave?
As the name suggests, it is a type of leave where menstruators can opt for paid or unpaid leave from their workplace.
The idea remains hotly debated and most companies still do not provide the option of menstrual leaves.
While India is yet to have a policy on the subject, Bihar has been giving menstrual leaves to working women since 1992.
Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia and Zambia are among the countries that offer menstruation benefits to their female workforce.
Last year, Spain passed a bill that provides menstrual leave for women.
What CUSAT has proposed
CUSAT took the decision to allow menstrual leave to female students following a representation made by the students’ union of the university, as per PTI.
In an order issued on 11 January in this regard, the varsity said it would sanction an additional two per cent condonation of shortage of attendance to female students in each semester.
Appreciating the Students’ Federation of India-led (SFI) students’ union for the initiative, Bindu said, “It is most gratifying to see the success of the student leadership and the university leadership working together to create a befitting continuation of the ongoing women empowerment activities initiated by the Department of Higher Education”.
Bihar gives menstrual leave to working women. AFP (Representational Image)
CUSAT, an autonomous university, has more than 8,000 students in several streams – out of which over half are women, PTI reported.
As per the university norms, students are required to have at least 75 per cent attendance each semester to sit for examinations. The two per cent relaxation will now let female students with even 73 per cent attendance to appear for the exams.
“This is a much-needed gesture from the university towards the female students. In the future, the academic world has to think about introducing menstrual leave for girl students,’’ CUSAT Syndicate member, Dr Poornima Narayanan, told Indian Express.
ALSO READ: Which countries allow menstrual leave?
The debate around period leaves
The debate around menstruation leaves is fuelled every time any workplace or government decides to grant such benefits.
While some hail the decision, some are quick to dismiss the idea arguing it ‘ghettoizes women’.
Let’s clear some things up beforehand – not everyone menstruator has the same experience. Stomach cramps, nausea and mood swings are some common symptoms that affect most menstruators.
However, the level of physical pain, emotional turmoil, and discomfort differ from person to person. While some can manage work or go about their daily activities like any other day, others may not even be able to get out of bed because of the severity of their symptoms.
Some people also experience dysmenorrhea, which could entail heavy bleeding, intense cramping, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Menstrual leave remains a debated topic. News18 (Representational Image)
A study has claimed that up to 91 per cent of women of reproductive age suffer from dysmenorrhea, while up to 29 per cent go through severe pain, Deutsche Welle (DW) reported.
“Sure, 80 per cent will not have any pain. But 20 per cent have debilitating pain,” Dr Kiran Coelho, one of the country’s leading gynaecologists, told Vogue in 2022.
“Premenstrual tension is also so severe, that it’s sometimes classified as PMDD, or Prementrual Dysphoric Disorder. I have to put these girls on oral contraceptives because otherwise some of them have to get hospitalised every month,” Coelho, who is also an advocate of women’s reproductive health, added.
The many arguments against menstrual leave include how it will impact hiring and companies will give lesser chances to women.
Another apprehension people have with menstrual leave is that it will lead to abuse of the benefits by some women.
Citing an extensive academic paper, published as part of a handbook on menstruation studies in 2020, DW said the negative impacts of such policies include “perpetuating sexist beliefs and attitudes, contributing to menstrual stigma and perpetuating gender stereotypes, negatively impacting the gendered wage gap, and reinforcing the medicalization of menstruation”.
Dismissing the arguments against menstrual leave, Dr Coelho told Vogue, “Men will always discriminate no matter what. But menstrual leave will create conversation around taboo topics. Around women and pain, that is largely ignored. We can avoid medical issues going undiagnosed because of it.”
Veve Hitipeuw, CEO of Kiroyan Partners in Indonesia, said that granting menstrual leave is “basically a symbol of acknowledgement and support for women.”
“Workplaces or companies have to enable women to perform their work and at the same time, their role in the society,” Hitipeuw was quoted as saying by DW.
With inputs from agencies
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