Menstrual leave makes the news again

THE government of the southern Indian state of Karnataka recently approved a policy to offer paid menstrual leave to all women (aged 18 to 52) working in formal jobs. Each eligible employee receives one day of paid menstrual leave per month, totalling 12 days per year. The leave cannot be carried forward, and no medical certificate is required to use it, making the process confidential and non-intrusive. The policy is aimed at boosting women’s health, dignity, mental well-being and overall workplace productivity in the state, which is home to some of the world’s biggest IT firms.​

Policies for menstrual leave trace their origins to the 1920s in Russia. In 1947, Japan implemented menstrual leave for women working in factories. Currently, employers in Japan must grant leave when a woman finds it “especially difficult” to work, but many companies provide only unpaid time off and cultural factors can discourage women from taking it.