Hibi Eden, a member of Parliament from Ernakulam for the Kerala Congress Lok Sabha, will bring a private member’s bill to Parliament asking for women to have the right to menstrual leave and free access to menstrual health products.
Eden has been a strong supporter of menstrual rights, and it was because of his work that the Kerala government decided earlier this month to give women students in all state-run universities time off for their periods.
Eden’s bill would give women who work the right to three days of paid leave and time off during their period in “any establishment registered with the proper government.” Eden has suggested that all women should have the right to free menstrual products and the right to take three days off from school when they have their period.
Eden wants to set up a group called the Female Health Products Price Regulating Authority to make sure that the Act’s goals are met. The Authority will have nine members from the central government. The union health minister, who will be the chair, the minister of women and child development, who will be the vice chair, and the ministers of finance, education, labour and employment will also be members. The remaining six members will be chosen, and four of them will be women.
The bill says that the Authority will make sure that all women have free access to menstrual health products, regulate the prices of menstrual health products, raise awareness about how important menstrual health products are, and identify and give priority access to menstrual health products to a target group that includes women who are not in school full-time or who live in poverty.
“There’s no doubt that menstrual awareness has grown in cities, where more women use sanitary pads instead of cloth. In cities, not only women but also people in general have learned more about menstruation. There are new things being made, like menstrual cups, menstrual discs, and a lot more. Unfortunately, society sees women as the other half, but only for certain indoor tasks, using the fact that they are biologically different as a sign that they are less capable. Even though menstruation is a fact of life and can be painful, it is often kept quiet,” the bill says.
It also says that research shows that about 40% of girls miss school when they have their periods. “It’s important for girls to have access to menstrual products, but it’s just as important to pay attention to the mental trauma they go through when they have their periods. It says that girls should get full counselling about their periods and other issues related to them.
The bill says that its goal is to “remove any barriers that make it hard for women, girls, and trans people to get female health and hygiene products.” These products are important for the health, hygiene, and well-being of women from the time they reach puberty until they reach menopause.
The bill also says that being homeless, being in a controlling, violent, or coercive relationship, or having a health condition like endometriosis can make it hard for women or trans people to get sanitary products.
Countries with a legal system that includes menstrual leave include Japan, Taiwan, China, Korea, Indonesia, and Mexico. The bill pointed out that several companies and organisations in the United Kingdom and Australia have also written menstrual leave into their own rules.
