Personnel Ministry Defers Decision On Menstrual Leave, Refers Matter To Health Ministry

The ongoing discussion about the possibility of special menstrual leave for women government employees took an interesting turn as the personnel ministry recently stated that the matter falls under the domain of health-related issues. According to a report presented in the Parliament on Monday, the ministry suggested that the health ministry would be best equipped to examine and address this concern, as reported by PTI. 

This development follows a previous recommendation from the parliamentary committee that urged the personnel ministry to engage with stakeholders and formulate a menstrual leave policy. This policy would permit women government employees experiencing menstrual cramps, dysmenorrhea, and similar conditions to take time off from their duties. The committee underscored the impact of menstruation on women's well-being, asserting that it can debilitate and affect productivity at the workplace.

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law, and Justice emphasized the need for menstrual leaves or sick leaves/half pay leaves per month or year for women, without the requirement of a medical certificate or justification. The committee's report, presented in the Parliament, highlighted existing provisions such as maternity leave and child care leave under the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972, designed to support the welfare of female central government servants.

The personnel ministry, in response to the committee's recommendations, clarified that the issue of granting special menstrual leave is a health-related matter and falls within the purview of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The ministry assured that any changes in this regard would be communicated widely to all ministries or departments.

Notably, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani, in response to a question posed by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on December 8, informed the Lok Sabha that there is currently no government proposal to mandate paid menstrual leave across all workplaces.