Odisha Announces One-Day Menstrual Leave for Women Employees on Independence Day
Odisha Announces One-Day Menstrual Leave for Women Employees on Independence Day
The Odisha government has implemented a one-day menstrual leave policy for women employees across both the state government and private sector, permitting them to take leave on the first or second day of their cycle to support women’s health.
On Thursday, the Odisha government introduced a new one-day menstrual leave policy for women employees in both the state government and the private sector. Odisha Deputy Chief Minister Pravati Parida announced the policy during the district-level Independence Day celebrations in Cuttack.
This initiative is part of the ongoing national conversation surrounding menstrual leave policies in India. While the Right of Women to Menstrual Leave and Free Access to Menstrual Health Products Bill, 2022, proposes three days of paid leave for women and transwomen during menstruation, it has yet to be enacted.
Recently, the Supreme Court urged the central government to establish a model policy on menstrual leave for female employees, emphasizing that this issue falls under policy-making rather than judicial intervention.
Currently, only Bihar and Kerala have implemented menstrual leave policies in India. Bihar introduced its policy in 1992, allowing women two days of paid menstrual leave each month. In 2023, Kerala extended menstrual leave to female students across universities and institutions, in addition to up to 60 days of maternity leave for students over 18.
Some private companies in India, such as Zomato, have also implemented menstrual leave policies. Zomato, for instance, has been offering 10 days of paid period leave annually since 2020.
Despite these efforts, India still lacks a national law governing menstrual leave. Previous attempts to pass related legislation, such as the Menstruation Benefits Bill, 2017, and the Women’s Sexual, Reproductive, and Menstrual Rights Bill, 2018, were unsuccessful. However, Odisha’s new policy represents a significant step forward in acknowledging and addressing the needs of women in the workplace.
The policy, effective immediately, allows women employees to take leave on either the first or second day of their menstrual cycle, aiming to better support women’s health and well-being.
