Thread by @Umang20294

Thread on #PeriodLeave ~

Here's what I learnt from my research while drafting the Private Member's Bill on "Right to Menstrual Hygiene and Paid Leave Bill, 2019."
[PMB to be introduced in the Lok Sabha by @Jothims, MP]

Besides empathy, sharing this: 🧵 (1/n)

P.S.: I'm aware of "no uterus, no opinion", so I'll be focusing on the nuances of the topic (from my limited knowledge & gathering of various inputs) rather than participating in the debate. #MenstrualLeave
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It is important to note that the 1st such legislation on menstruation benefits in India was proposed by former LS MP @ninong_erring (INC) in 2018, which provided for 4 days of paid leave.
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Dr. @ShashiTharoor & Ms. @supriya_sule had also submitted PMBs in the Parliament on menstrual health and distribution of sanitary napkins. [Of course, PMBs are not likely to be passed.]
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In Russia, the Bolshevik leadership started pro-natalist policies to protect women from work-related exertion after many losses of lives. This is where the provision for menstrual leave was traced back in time.
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Japan has had the workplace entitlement of menstrual leave since 1947. Just after World War II, women whose jobs led to the suffering of period pain were allowed "seirikyuuka", which means “physiological leave” in Japanese.
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Since we are going into the history and origins..
A Kerala school granted period leave 105 years ago.
[Cc: @HibiEden, @ShashiTharoor]
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ndtv.com/kerala-news/a-…

In Asia, the following countries have enacted laws in some form for paid/unpaid leave during #menstruation -
Indonesia, Philippines, China, Japan, Vietnam, South Korea & Taiwan.
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In India, recently the debate was kickstarted again when @Zomato's CEO @deepigoyal announced their new policy of period leaves for women and transgender persons.
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https://twitter.com/Zomato/status/1292031987553722371

.@BDUTT and others have written against it, claiming reverse sexism & ghettoization of women.
Many have defended it dispassionately as a progressive acknowledgement of a biological discomfort.
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https://twitter.com/BDUTT/status/1293138534975467520

Paraphrasing Korean Judge Park Gi-ju's ruling,
“Menstrual leave is stipulated in the labor law for the health of female workers, who are physiologically different from men. It is also to protect the reproductive abilities of the female employees, so it cannot be seen as"
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"...unreasonable discrimination against men. The right to take a day off for menstrual leave must be strictly protected. When a female worker does not take the leave and works on that day, she provided additional labor, so the employer must pay the allowance.”
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However, the utilization of paid menstrual leaves in Japan is still associated with stigma. Women choose to take sick leave rather than disclose their menstruation cycles to the male colleagues, for fear of discrimination.
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theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2…

The aforementioned PMB states the right to self-perception of menstruation including menarche (first menstruation), menopause, primary or secondary dysmenorrhea (PD or menstrual pain); paid leave, breaks; and the right to menstrual hygiene management facilities.
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We must also focus on improving the participation of women in the workforce, supporting gender equity, access to toilets, distribution of sanitary pads, healthcare for PCOS, removing all kinds of discrimination in employment & the taboo around menstruation.
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Sources:
- Policy brief on Women and Menstruation in the EU by @EIWH;
- Paper on Vietnam's Labour Code reform by Mia Urbano, Jane Aeberhard-Hodges & Than Thi Thien Huong.
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Disclaimer:
There are not enough data/stats available on the uptake of paid leave, utilization of menstrual breaks, purchase of sanitary napkins and the destigmatization of the same.
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Do check out some NGOs like @goonj, @dasra, @menstrupedia, @theredcycle_in & @MHDay28May which are working in the field of #menstrualhealth in India.
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If you've stayed along till here, you should also take a look at the National Guidelines on Menstrual Hygiene Management, published by the @MoJSDoWRRDGR, Government of India in 2015.
hptsc.nic.in/2%20(8).pdf
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