Supreme Court rejects plea to implement nationwide menstrual leave; decision should be taken by government

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court rejected the plea to implement nationwide menstrual leave. The court said that this is a matter of policy and that many companies will not hire women if the court order is passed. A bench headed by Chief Justice D V Chandrachud heard the petition.

The court directed the petitioners to approach the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare in this regard. The petitioners have demanded that menstrual leave should be implemented nationwide since it is given in many states of the country including many campuses.

The court cannot give direction regarding menstrual leave. It is up to the government to decide on this. The court said that if the court issues such an order, many organizations will hesitate to hire women and this will lead to the elimination of their employment opportunities. Therefore, the court dismissed the petition stating that it was not interfering with the policy issue.