Government Focuses on Hygiene Over Mandatory Menstrual Leave

Minister of Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi stated that the government has no plans for mandatory paid menstrual leave. Instead, it prioritizes menstrual hygiene initiatives, subsidized sanitary napkins, and law reviews. Growing menstrual leave advocacy is seen in universities and companies like The Social Lions.

In a recent Lok Sabha session, Minister of Women and Child Development Annapurna Devi clarified that there are currently no plans to mandate paid menstrual leave for all workplaces. The government is instead focusing on other initiatives to promote menstrual hygiene.

Devi highlighted that the Scheme for Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene provides subsidized sanitary napkins to adolescent girls through Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA). This initiative is backed by the National Health Mission and aims to raise menstrual hygiene awareness across states. Additionally, rural areas benefit from the National Guidelines for Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM) under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

Further support comes from the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janausadhi Pariyojna (PMBJP), which offers affordable sanitary napkins named Suvidha at Rs1 per pad through over 10,000 Janaushidhi Kendras nationwide. The Ministry has also received a Supreme Court order concerning menstrual leave, indicating ongoing legal discussions.

Menstrual leave has sparked increasing debate in India. Traditionally stigmatized, menstruation is now being recognized for its health impact on women. Last November, Gauhati University permitted a 2 percent attendance relaxation as menstrual leave for female students. Similarly, Mumbai's digital marketing agency, The Social Lions, introduced a policy allowing female employees up to 2 days of menstrual leave per cycle starting this year.

(With inputs from agencies.)