PIL Filed In SC Seeking Paid Period Leaves After Menstruation Bill Regarded ‘Unclean’ In 2022
Hope the PIL is heard.
Having to go to work while on period feels awful, right? I am sure a lot of you women reading this will relate to the fact that you just don’t feel like doing anything when you are on your period, let alone go to work. It is quite natural to want to take a leave from work and rest at home when you are on your period. But sadly, the concept of paid period leaves does not exist in the rulebook of a majority of companies in India. Emphasising the importance of paid period leaves and reiterating the sickening effects of periods, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court.
As per a report by Live Law, Advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi has filed the PIL seeking menstrual leave for women and female students in the apex court. In the petition, the lawyer has cited a study that states period pain is equivalent to the pain one feels when experiencing a heart attack. Hence, working while experiencing such pain affects the employees’ work and their productivity as well.
It is important to take note of the fact that the PIL comes now after the Menstruation Benefits Bill, 2017 was disregarded in the Budget Session in 2022 by the Legislative Assembly saying that it was an ‘unclean’ topic of discussion. Citing this occasion, the petition by Advocate Tripathi said that such instances prove that the legislation is unwilling to the matter of paid period leaves seriously.
Furthermore, the petition also stated that companies like Zomato Swiggy, Mathrubhumi and others offer paid period leaves to their female employees. Advocate Shailendra Mani Tripathi has also argued that while other states do offer period leaves benefit, it leaves women and girls from other states deprived of the same.
Also read: This UK Father Is Campaigning For Period Pain To Be A Valid Reason To Miss School. YES, More Parents Need To Do This
Spain, China, Japan and Zambia are among the other countries that have granted period leaves to their female workforce. If only our leaders paid attention to women’s health as much as they do what an actress wears in a movie, it would actually prove to be much more fruitful.
