Menstruation not a handicap: Smriti Irani opposes paid period leave
text_fields
New Delhi: Union Minister for Women And Child Development Smriti Irani has opposed the idea of mandatory paid menstrual leave for women employees saying that Menstruation is not a “handicap” and therefore does not warrant a “paid leave policy”,
“As a menstruating woman, menstruation and the menstruation cycle is not a handicap, it’s a natural part of women’s life journey,” Irani said while responding to a question by MP Manoj Kumar Jha in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
“We should not propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint on menstruation,” the minister said.
"A small proportion of women/ girls suffer from severe dysmenorrhoea or similar complaints; and most of these cases are manageable by medication,” she said in a written response submitted in the Upper House.
Also Read - BBC India to restructure operations to comply with Centre’s FDI rules
“However, the issue of menstruation and its associated activities are surrounded by silence, often treated with shame and associated with social taboos that restrict mobility, freedom and access to normal activities for menstruating persons, and many a time leads to their harassment and social exclusion. It becomes even more sensitive when a girl/ menstruating person is unaware of the changes that she undergoes emotionally and physically, while facing her menstrual cycle for the first time,” Irani said.
Last week, Irani, while responding to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, told the Lok Sabha that there is “no proposal under the consideration of the government to make provision for paid menstrual leave mandatory for all workplaces.”
The minister told the House that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has formulated a draft menstrual hygiene policy in consultation with stakeholders. The policy aims to improve awareness and access to proper menstrual hygiene management practices across the country.
The Union Minister also highlighted the existing 'Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)' scheme, aimed at adolescent girls from 10 to 19 years old.
The scheme, supported by the National Health Mission, focuses on enhancing knowledge about menstrual hygiene through various education and awareness programs.
In India, there is currently no proposal under consideration by the government to mandate paid menstrual leave mandatory across all workplaces.
