Period was a topic that has remained behind closed doors which was only discussed by women. Things have changed drastically since then but still period or menstruation has remained taboo in our country, a thing as natural as menstruating is associated with such shame or embarrassment baffles me. Menstruating is taboo in India! When women are on their periods, they face many problems and have to suffer from lots of pain so it’s difficult to concentrate on work/study.
Menstrual leave policy in India is starting to gain recognition and companies like Zomato, Byju’s, Swiggy, etc, have come up with a menstrual leave policy which is good in a way but there comes a question in my mind. Do women need special treatment during periods? Isn’t it against our idea of equality? Period is a natural thing. People didn’t use to give women jobs because of a biological condition they go through every month, the misconception that women can’t work during periods so they shouldn’t be taken up for jobs was very much there in society but women fought against this misconception and now women all across the country are soaring high in every field. Considering this, the menstrual leave policy will make the fight for equality a mere brag.
Menstrual leave Policy gives women a tag that they cannot work during periods, which is wrong! Women can work during periods and can work as much as a man can in his full strength although there are some women who go through immense pain, it’s difficult for them to concentrate on work but at the same time they have the strength to endure every pain and work to the best of their capabilities. Women are strong enough to work! Just because of a biological thing they can’t be given special or inferior treatment. This is unfair to women themselves. It will give rise to misogyny. I’m not against the menstrual leave policy but I don’t want any special treatment for women so that the world gets another reason to point fingers at women. We as women know that we can do anything while bleeding that men can do in their best health. Women work at their homes and take care of everything else during periods and also do their jobs whether it’s working in an organization or being in the army. Women cannot be treated differently. Menstrual leave policy should only be considered if we give men parental leave too. I am immanently against the gendering of the workplace and consider it opposing to my belief in feminism, which is based on the equality of all genders. So the menstrual leave policy should only be considered when men get the same kind of leave.