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Smriti Irani has expressed her opposition to the concept of mandatory paid menstrual leave for women employees.
NEW DELHI: Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani has expressed her opposition to the concept of mandatory paid menstrual leave for women employees. In response to a question from MP Manoj Kumar Jha in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, Irani emphasised that menstruation is a natural aspect of life and should not be treated as a disability requiring special leave provisions.
“As a menstruating woman, menstruation and the menstrual cycle are not a handicap; they are a natural part of women’s life journey,” Irani stated. She said that menstrual leave can lead to discrimination against women in the workforce, asserting, “We should not propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint towards menstruation.”
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Despite her opposition to mandatory menstrual leave, Irani acknowledged the importance of menstrual hygiene. She announced the formulation of a draft national policy by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, developed in collaboration with stakeholders, aiming to enhance awareness and access to proper menstrual hygiene management practices across the country.
Irani also highlighted the existing ‘Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)’ scheme, targeting adolescent girls from 10 to 19 years old. Supported by the National Health Mission, this scheme focuses on improving knowledge about menstrual hygiene through education and awareness programs.
This announcement followed a report presented in Parliament on Monday, indicating that the issue of special menstrual leave is considered a health issue falling under the purview of the health ministry for examination.
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While Spain recently passed legislation allowing painful periods as a valid reason for paid leave, marking a first in Europe, Irani clarified that within the Indian context, there is currently no proposal under consideration by the government to mandate paid menstrual leave across all workplaces. This clarification came in response to a question from Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on December 8.
