PAID MENSTRUAL LEAVE

Offering paid leaves during periods is not a new phenomenon. In order to

increase the participation of females in the workforce, Japanese
government introduced the legislation in 1947 that allowed menstruating
women to take days off. Inspired from this, few Asian nations and
corporations have allowed females to take off during their periods.
Experts stand divided on this. Some say its a medical necessity, some
say its a discriminatory practice, some say if enacted it will widen the
gender wage gap. Though some females feel it helps them to improve
their productivity, others fear sexual harassment and guilt of increased
workload on colleagues.

Apart from the governments, sportswear giant, Nike become the first
company to allow menstrual leaves. Nike introduced menstrual
leave in 2007 and makes business partners sign a memorandum of
understanding to ensure they maintain the companys standards. No
Indian industry leader currently allow menstrual leaves. Mumbai
based Shree Lakshmi Steel Industries became the first company to
allow menstrual leave in 2010. This certainly raises a question, are
Indian companies listening?

SOUTH
K O R E A (2 0 0 1 )

IN D O N E S IA (2 0 0 1 )

S o u th
K o re a
a llo w e d
M e n s t r u r a l L e a v e in 2 0 0 1
w h ic h
w as
am ended
in
2 0 0 4 . A c c o r d in g t o A r t ic le
7 1 o f L a b o u r S ta n d a rd A c t,
a n e m p lo y e r s h a ll a llo w a
f e m a le w o r k e r o n e d a y 's
m e n s t r u a t io n
le a v e
w it h
p a y p e r m o n th .

A c c o r d in g t o a r t ic le 8 1 o f
la b o u r la w
a llo w
fe m a le
w o r k e r s a n d la b o u r e r s w h o
fe e l
p a in
d u r in g
t h e ir
m e n s t r u a l p e r io d a n d t e ll
t h e e n t r e p re n e u r a b o u t t h is
a r e n o t o b lig e d t o c o m e t o
w o r k o n t h e fi r s t a n d s e c o n d
d a y o f m e n s t r u a t io n .

JA PA N (1 9 4 7 )

TA IW A N (2 0 0 1 )

Ja p a n b e c a m e th e fi rs t c o u n try to
in tro d u c e th e le a v e in 1 9 4 7 . T h e
d e b a te b e g a n in 1 9 2 8 w h e n , fe m a le
c o n d u c to rs fo r th e To ky o M u n ic ip a l
B u s C o m p a n y d e m a n d e d d a y s o ff
s o th e y w o u ld n t h a v e to q u it th e ir
jo b s b e c a u se o f m o n th ly p e rio d re la te d a b s e n c e s. B a c k in th e d a y
th e y h a d n o a c c e s s to b a th ro o m s
th ro u g h o u t th e d a y.Afte r in te n s e
lo b b y in g , re p re s e n ta tiv e s o f w o m e n
in la b o r u n io n s w o n th e rig h t to
p a id m e n s tru a l le a v e . T h e Ja p a n e s e
L a b o r S ta n d a rd s L a w s ta te d th a t
w om en
s u ff e rin g
fro m
p a in fu l

A rtic le 1 4 o f A c t O f G e n d e r
E q u a lity In E m p lo y m e n t,
fe m a le e m p lo y e e s h a v in g
d iffi c u ltie s in p e rfo rm in g
her
w o rk
d u rin g
m e n s tru a tio n p e rio d m a y
re q u e s t
one
day
m e n s tru a l
le a v e
each
m o n th . If th e c u m u la tiv e
m e n s tru a l le a v e s d o n o t
exc e e d th re e d a y s in a
y e a r, s a id le a v e s s h a ll n o t
b e c o u n te d to w a rd d a y s
o ff
fo r sic k le a v e . A ll