NEW DELHI: Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani has said that menstruation is not a handicap and therefore there is no need for paid menstrual leave. Smriti Irani was responding to a question in Parliament about the menstrual hygiene policy.

“As a menstruating woman, menstruation and the menstruation cycle is not a handicap, it’s a natural part of women’s life journey…We should not propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint towards menstruation,” she said.

“A small proportion of women/ girls suffer from severe dysmenorrhea or similar complaints; and most of these cases are manageable by medication.”, she added in her written response.

Smriti Irani informed the House that the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has formulated a draft menstrual hygiene policy and the Centre is already implementing schemes to promote menstrual hygiene among girls.

Menstrual leave

Women face many physical and mental difficulties during menstruation. This gets worse at workplaces. Resting at home is beneficial to avoid this as it helps in relaxation. Countries such as Indonesia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan already provide menstrual leave. Japan has had menstrual leave for years.

In South Korea, women who work on menstrual days are paid extra. It has been reported that the number of women taking menstrual leave in South Korea has decreased recently. Many private companies in India are now offering menstrual leave.