NEW DELHI - Menstruation is largely still taboo in India, with menstruating girls and women restricted from entering kitchens or worshipping at family altars in many homes.
Neighbourhood stores even hand over sanitary pads in black polythene bags to avoid unwanted attention.
But recently, India has been debating the idea of menstrual leave for working women openly, prompted by a comment in Parliament by India's Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani, who said menstruation was not a "handicap" that deserved special paid leave.
She was responding to a query on Dec 13 by a fellow parliamentarian on whether the government was looking at mandating a law for menstrual leave, something Ms Irani said could lead to discrimination against women in the workforce.
The demand for menstrual leave has acquired greater momentum in India, coming off the back of decades of groundwork by women's rights and menstrual hygiene activists that has helped eradicate some of the stigma around menstruation.
A 2023 draft National Menstrual Hygiene Policy even recommends that flexible working arrangements, such as work from home or supportive leave arrangements, be made available at educational institutions and workplaces to accommodate the needs of individuals during menstruation, including "trans and non-binary menstruators".
この記事は The Straits Times の December 21, 2023 版に掲載されています。
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この記事は The Straits Times の December 21, 2023 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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