Menstrual Justice in India: Health, Human Rights, and Legal frameworks
Keywords:
Period Leave, Menstrual Leave, Leave Policy, Inclusive Workplace, Gender EqualityAbstract
Half of India's population is women and girls. However, gender inequities continue to be a serious problem in India, affecting women's and girls' access to school, health care, and employment. Some nations and businesses provide menstrual leave, but there is little study on how the policy is perceived or how it affects employees. Menstrual leave brings up several issues related to women's health, employment, and gender parity at work. In the perspective of urban women in the organised workforce, this paper discusses the topic. They have a relative advantage over women working in the unorganised sector since they have access to clean, safe restrooms both at home and at work. Though wellintentioned, menstrual leave regulations should be used cautiously since they may have a negative impact on gender equity. The policy debate has brought up crucial questions about how businesses should be more accepting of women's bodies. It is recommended that talks on gender inclusivity take into account how age, class, and position in the organisational hierarchy interact with gender. During such time, they experience both physical and mental stress. For working women, handling such stress is more challenging. On the one hand, workplaces are diversifying more and more. As more women enter the labour, the economy is growing as a result. However, organisations have not shown much sensitivity to this particular demand of women. Women need to rest more than they need to work during their period. However, there are no policy efforts in place to address this need. The parliament has discussed this issue, but no legislation has yet been passed. A law requiring menstrual leave or period leave in every company might be a positive move. The authors of this study report have made an effort to learn what employees think of such a leave.
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