On Wednesday, November 12, the Karnataka State government officially notified its menstrual leave policy, granting the female workforce one day of paid leave per month. The policy has been welcomed wholeheartedly.
Applicable to women aged 18 to 52 working in both government and private sectors, the policy does not require any medical certificate to be availed. However, it leaves out approximately six million workers engaged in the informal sector, such as domestic help, daily-wage earners, and gig workers.
The government explained that the measure is aimed at ensuring better health, greater efficiency, and stronger workforce participation among female employees. While the expert committee originally proposed six days of annual menstrual leave, the State Cabinet doubled this to 12 days after consulting with employers.
The order specifies that female employees cannot carry over menstrual leave; it must be used within the same month.
The proposal in India to grant women an extra day of menstrual leave has sparked controversy, pitting concerns about potential gender bias and workplace equality against the argument that it is a necessary measure to prevent women from losing pay or being forced to work through the unavoidable menstrual pain.
Although the idea of menstrual leave is not new, and a few states in India already follow similar policies at a limited level, this remains one of the most progressive policy decisions for women to date.
For Bangladesh, where conversations around menstruation at work remain largely taboo, Karnataka’s move offers a striking example of what progressive workplace policy could look like. Female employees in offices, factories and public institutions often struggle silently with menstrual pain, without any formal support or leave provisions.
Introducing a similar policy here could improve women’s health, boost workplace participation and challenge the stigma surrounding menstruation. Its implementation by government offices or large private companies could pave the way for ensuring that women do not have to choose between their health and their livelihoods.
