Menstrual Leave: Step Forward or Back?

Recently, the Indian Supreme Court deferred the decision on mandating a policy for menstrual leaves for women to the Central Government. This raises a critical question: At the current stage of India's growth journey, what's more important?

1. Bringing more women into the workforce?

2. Ensuring the best workplace standards for the women already in the workforce?

In addition to significant socio-political benefits, working women contribute to increased household incomes, which helps families escape poverty and boosts consumption. The Labour Bureau survey indicates a considerable increase in women's participation, from 23% in 2017-18 to 37% in 2022-23. While this shows the rising importance of women in India's growth story, we are still behind the world average (~53%). Thus, there is considerable work to be done.

The Government should focus on increasing women's participation by ensuring safer work environments through mandates on POSH, creche facilities for children, equal pay for equal work, flexible or remote working hours for women, and transportation facilities during late hours. But this has to go hand-in-hand with efforts on bringing more women to the workforce.

Introducing rules like menstrual leave without a substantial number of women in the labor force and leadership roles might hinder participation growth. Companies might become cost-centric and discriminate against women in hiring due to perceived additional costs. We need to devise strategies so that additional leaves do not translate into increased costs for companies.

Women manage entire households. A working mother may need to stay home to care for their child or in-laws. Shouldn't they be entitled to more leaves than men? How we ensure that the additional costs of these leaves do not hinder the participation of women is the key challenge.

The change must start at home. How frequently do we give our house-helps leave on account of menstruation?