Karnataka becomes first Indian State to offer paid menstrual leave to women: Video
The southern Indian state of Karnataka has introduced a groundbreaking policy granting all women in the formal sector one day of paid menstrual leave per month.
This makes the state the first to extend such leave to both government and private-sector employees.
The new rule applies to women aged 18 to 52, and does not require a medical certificate. Officials estimate that 350,000 to 400,000 women will benefit.
However, it excludes the much larger informal workforce of roughly six million women, including domestic workers, daily-wage labourers and gig workers, a gap experts say should be addressed.
Still, the move is being widely described as a landmark step, particularly because it covers private-sector employees regardless of their job type or contract.
Countries such as Spain, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia already offer menstrual leave, and in India, states like Bihar and Odisha provide limited leave for government workers. Karnataka’s decision, however, represents the broadest rollout yet in the country.
Karnataka Labour Minister Santosh Lad called the measure “one of the most progressive policy decisions” for women. The IT industry’s trade association, Nasscom, said many companies in the state already offer menstrual leave, and that complying with the government order would not be difficult.
Worker groups welcomed the move. Pratibha R, who leads the local Garment and Textile Workers’ Union, noted that many garment workers receive only 11 days of leave per year.
But the policy has stirred debate. Some women say discussing menstruation at work is still uncomfortable in a society where the topic remains taboo.
“How can one go and seek menstrual leave when we don’t even speak about it?” asked Anunita Kundu, a software manager.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
