Time to give woman her due: Indian companies must consider menstrual leave 

Women are often referred to as the fairer sex. But the irony is there's nothing fair for them in real life. Well, I am no feminist nor do I intend to spark a debate. But to be fair..that is to..women, I honestly feel our laws are anything but women friendly. Reservations/quota for women is not the end of story. There's more when it comes to practicality.

For instance, women going through menstrual cycle is a universal phenomenon. Yet, it is a taboo topic for any women to discuss about it openly. Remember when you buy a sanitary napkin from a pharmacist, he will give you the packet of sanitary pads wrapped in a newspaper or a black cover!

Says Arathi, a techie: "I suffer severe cramps and excruciating pain during my periods. But come what may, I have to travel 30 kms to work during the time and sit the entire day and supposed to act normal even while I am literally bleeding inside."

The most unfortunate situation for a women is when they have male bosses. "We can't reveal to our boss about our physical conditions despite the fact that he's a father to a daughter, husband to his wife and son to his mother and is aware of what happens to them during this time. I always call in sick or when I am unable to bear the pain any more I take leave citing an emergency."

So you see we just can't discuss the problem openly. You see your colleague sneaking out to the loo to change her pad by hiding her napkin!
Recently, a UK firm introduced what they call 'period leave' for women. The company also offers women workers the flexibility to work from home during their monthly menstrual cycles.

South Korea, Indonesia, Japan, China And Taiwan too have similar policies with respect to period leave for female employees. I guess, on Women's Day when we are talking about empowerment and reservations and equality, the need of the hour is to adopt a new approach to women's well being. It's important to acknowledge their contribution to the economy and offer them flexible work options so their productivity too goes up while ensuring their health.
We all know how much of an effort a woman has to put in during her menstrual cycle days. It's no mean feat managing so many things. Travel too is a challenge.

Says Dr Radhika B, a gynaecologist: "More than 70 per cent of women suffer PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) which is nothing but hormonal imbalance. Women who have PCOS have to tackle problems such as weight gain, anxiety, depression, acne and most importantly pain during periods. A few women can't even get out of their beds for first two days due to abdomen pain. It would really help to give them a day off during her period or the option of working from home."

Women must be allowed to openly speak about the changes in their bodies and at the same time gain social recognition for their role as workers. If you are wondering what women what, this is it-Time to give woman her due!