POST NEWS NETWORK
Women professionals hail a Mumbai-based digital media company’s decision to introduce a ‘first day of period leave’ as an attempt to demolish the taboos surrounding menstruation in India
Cramps are every woman’s problem, thanks to the monthly visits of Aunt Flo, a popular euphemism for menstruation. There are women who are lucky to experience pain-free periods, but they too find it stressful to spend long hours stuck to their chairs at the workplace. Recently, a Mumbai-based digital media company announced it would offer a ‘First Day of Period Leave’, with the objective of giving women professionals the option to take a leave on the first day of their period. The company states that the leave policy is an attempt to fight the taboos surrounding menstruation in India.
Days after the announcement, a Kerala-based news channel followed suit. Orissa POST speaks to women professionals about the merits of the initiative and whether all organisations should implement a similar official policy.
Sushmita Biswas, coordinator at Bachpan Play School in Bhubaneswar, says: “Being a woman we don’t want favours or sympathy from anyone. Till now there was no such rule or leave policy for working women who are forced to attend office in even terrible situations. I welcome the initiative. However, if any such leave rule is implemented, the individual choice and preference of an employee should be accorded primacy.”
“There are some who feel cramps on the first day, while there are a few who feel it on the second day. So, individual requirement should be taken into account,” she adds.
Shreejaya Satpathy, who works with Gram Tarang Employability Training Services, welcomes the new move. “There are women who are forced to avail of sick leave during the painful period. Others have no choice but to bear the pain, as they don’t want to exhaust their quota of sick leave. A company’s leave policy is same for all employees, but men don’t experience this natural cycle and its effects on the body. Many countries have introduced ‘period leave’ to address women’s wellness issues such as China, Taiwan, Indonesia, and South Korea. India seems to have finally woken up to this important gender issue,” Shreejaya says.
Sindhu Brown, principal of Lotus Kids School in the capital city, is not quite happy with the new initiative as she fears that it may encourage female employees to misuse the opportunity. “I think women are not weak. They are quite strong and they can bear any pain. No one gives mothers or housewives or housemaids a day off. So why employees,” she asks.
“Instead of a leave on the first day of period when women are in pain, employees usually want a day’s leave to spend some quality time with their family,” adds Brown.
Madhusmita Sahoo, a PR professional and freelance writer, wholeheartedly welcomes the move. “I feel it’s a great initiative. Women do face a lot of health issues during their periods and working under such conditions becomes difficult at times. But I fear whether this move will appear to be another privilege meted out to women. I am all for equality and feel men should also be entitled to 12 paid leaves a year, same as women, which they can avail as per their convenience. An initiative is good as long as it doesn’t favour any gender and is accepted by all sections of society.”
