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Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K. Kavitha said on December 15 that she was disheartened by Union Minister Smriti Irani’s stand that there was no need for paid menstrual leave.
The Telangana MLC said she was appalled to see such “ignorance” of women’s struggles on the part of the Union Women and Child Development Minister.
Ms. Irani said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday that menstruation was a natural part of life and shouldn’t be treated as a handicap requiring special leave provisions. “We should not propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because somebody, who does not menstruate, has a particular viewpoint..,” she said.
Responding to this, Ms. Kavitha said menstruation isn’t a choice but a biological reality and denying paid leave ignores the genuine pain countless women endure.
“Disheartened by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani Ji’s dismissal of menstrual struggles in the Rajya Sabha. As a woman, it’s appalling to see such ignorance, for our struggles, our journeys isn’t a consolation, it deserves a level playing field and that’s a non-negotiable,” she posted on X.
“As a woman, it’s disconcerting to see a lack of empathy for the genuine challenges women face and the fight we have to put up for everything. It’s high time to indeed bridge the gap between policy making and reality with empathy and reason,” she said in the post.
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Personnel had told a Parliamentary Committee that the matter of special menstrual leave is considered a health issue and falls under the purview of the Health Ministry for examination. The Standing Committee on Personnel had recommended to the Ministry that it consult with stakeholders to frame a menstrual leave policy for government employees.
On Wednesday even as she dismissed the need for paid menstrual leave, Ms Irani acknowledged the importance of menstrual hygiene. The union minister announced the formulation of a draft national policy by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with stakeholders which aims to improve awareness and access to proper menstrual hygiene management practices across the country.
She also highlighted the existing ‘Promotion of Menstrual Hygiene Management (MHM)‘ scheme, aimed at adolescent girls from 10 to 19 years old supported by the National Health Mission.
