Odisha 3rd state to roll out 1-day menstrual leave for working women

Menstrual leave of one day was announced by the Odisha government on Thursday for working women in the public and private sectors. Women employees and rights groups applauded the decision. The announcement was made by Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida in Cuttack during the Independence Day celebrations.

“Earlier menstrual leave was not allowed. Now, it would be optional for the working women to avail leave on the first or second day of the menstrual cycle. It will be applied for both the government and private sector employees,” Parida told reporters after attending the celebration.

Official sources stated that the state government's women and child development department would shortly release comprehensive rules to allow working women to take menstrual leave, Indian Express reported.

Following Kerala and Bihar, Odisha is the third state to implement a menstrual leave policy for working women, in response to a national push for paid leave for both working women and students.

The ruling by the newly elected BJP administration was made one month after the Supreme Court ordered the Centre to hold stakeholder consultations regarding the demand for a working women's policy on July 8. According to officials, the declaration aided in maintaining the new BJP government's reputation as a "progressive government."

Approximately 1.5 lakh out of the four lakh state government employees are female. Despite the lack of official data, approximately five lakh women are thought to be employed in the private sector.