The idea of menstrual leave has been debated across workplaces and campuses. | Photo: iStock/ Getty Images
In March 2025, Acer India introduced a menstrual leave policy to give female employees one additional day of paid leave per month. In the same month, Larsen & Toubro’s chairperson, S.N. Subrahmanyan, also announced one-day menstrual leave for its women employees, who make up 9 per cent of the engineering and construction company’s 60,000-strong workforce. Companies like Swiggy and Zomato have made announcements on menstrual leave in the past
The menstrual leave roll-out is not limited to a few companies. State governments have also taken initiatives in this regard. Bihar has been a frontrunner in introducing a menstrual leave policy for government employees in 1992. Last November, Minister for General Education and Labour V. Sivankutty announced two days of menstrual leave a month for women trainees in industrial training institutes (ITIs) in Kerala. The Labour Department of Karnataka had also proposed a six-day paid menstrual leave in the private sector in 2024. Kerala first introduced it for girls attending State universities in 2023. In 2024, the Odisha government also announced a menstrual leave policy.
The idea of menstrual leave has been debated across workplaces and campuses. Those who advocate for it say menstrual health directly affects academic performance, mental well-being, and campus participation of girl students. Some argue that the participation of women in the workforce is already less, and granting additional leave to them could reduce their chances of getting hired. There also exists a fear that such a leave policy could perpetuate the idea that women are biologically inferior to men.
What these blanket policies can’t take into account is that menstruation is different for everyone. Some women experience menstrual discomfort in the form of heavy bleeding, dysmenorrhea, backaches, nausea, and even low blood pressure, whereas others don’t show any severe symptoms.
To explore the idea of a menstrual leave policy, The Hindu will host a webinar titled, ‘Inclusion, equality, or divide? Examining menstrual leave on campuses’. Is it a much-needed reform for student and employee well-being and inclusion, or does it risk creating new divides? The panellists include: Anagha Tambe, Chair, Department of Women and Gender Studies, SPPU; B.S. Ajeetha, Advocate; Dr. Sudeshna Ray, Additional Director, Department of ObGyn, Jaslok Hospital; and Dr. Jankidevi Borade, Obstetrician & Gynecologist.
Register now for free to ask questions and interact with the panellists. The three best questions will receive a free online subscription to The Hindu.
Panellists
Dr. Jankidevi Swaroop Borade
Dr. Jankidevi Swaroop Borade is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with specialised training in reproductive medicine. She has pursued M.S. (Obstetrics & Gynaecology) and a Diploma in Reproductive Medicine She practices in the fields of high-risk pregnancy management, infertility treatment, and laparoscopic surgery.
Anagha Tambe, Associate Professor and Chair at the Department of Women and Gender Studies, SPPU
Anagha Tambe has edited, translated, and written many teaching and learning resources in women’s studies in Marathi. She is an active member of the Indian Association for Women’s Studies and has served on its Executive Committee (2014- 2020). She has been a part of various initiatives to promote institutional inclusion and reimagine higher education. Her broad areas of research and publication include inequalities and democracy in higher education, disciplinary histories of Women’s Studies, and sexual/ cultural labour from the lens of gender and caste.
B.S. Ajeetha, Advocate
B.S. Ajeetha is an advocate practicing at the Madras High Court with a focus on women’s rights. She has served as an external member in POSH Internal Committees in various institutions and contributed to the Tamil Nadu Government’s LGBTQIA+ policy drafting committee. She has published books and articles on women’s rights, domestic violence, and gender equality. She has also been a resource person with the Tamil Nadu State Legal Services Authority and the State Human Rights Commission.
Dr. Sudeshna Ray, Associate Director, Department of OB-GYN, Jaslok hospital, Mumbai
Dr. Sudeshna Ray is an Obstetrician and Gynaecologist with over two decades of experience. She did a Fellowship in Endometriosis by IAGE and AAGL. She is also a fellow representative of AICC RCOG West Zone.
Published – August 18, 2025 03:46 pm IST
