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What Karnataka’s 12-day menstrual leave means for workplaces, dignity, and equality.

For years, women worked through pain in silence.
Now, at least for some, rest finally has a name.

Rashmi still remembers the day she almost fainted at her office desk. It was the third day of her period,  the unbearable one. Her stomach cramped like something twisting inside her, but she smiled anyway. She didn’t dare ask to leave early. She had learned to say, “I’m fine,” even when her body screamed otherwise. Later, when the government announced menstrual leave in Karnataka, she didn’t feel happy right away. She just went quiet, maybe because it took so long for someone to admit that what she’d been feeling all these years was real pain, not weakness.

A Pain That Was Always Ignored

Periods were never supposed to be a secret, but somehow they became one. We grew up hiding sanitary pads in newspapers, whispering the word “period” like it was shameful. And when we entered the offices, the silence followed us there, too.

For decades, women worked through cramps, nausea, and headaches,  pretending everything was normal. No one asked how they felt. No one even thought they should.

Now, Karnataka’s new policy giving 12 paid menstrual leave days per year is trying to change that. It’s one of the boldest decisions we’ve seen in India so far. And though some states like Bihar and Kerala already had similar steps, this one is important because it includes both government and private sectors.

Still, as soon as it was announced, people began debating,  “Is it fair?” “Will women misuse it?” “Does this mean they’re weaker than men?”
And that’s exactly why we needed this conversation in the first place.

Why It Matters

Menstrual leave isn’t about privilege. It’s about honesty,  about acknowledging that women bleed, and sometimes that hurts.

A 2024 UNICEF India report showed that almost one in four working women had to skip work because of period pain at least once every two months. Many never told their managers why. In another FICCI-FLO survey, 68% of women said they avoid mentioning menstrual discomfort at work because they don’t want to be judged.

These aren’t just numbers. They’re stories of women who showed up to meetings with heating pads under their sarees. Women who smiled through migraines. Women who were told, “It’s just a cramp, don’t make excuses.”

This policy, if taken seriously, gives them something they never had before:  permission to rest without guilt.

The Real Challenge: Changing Minds

But here’s the truth: Passing a law is easy. Changing how people think is not.
We can have all the policies in the world, but if a woman feels ashamed to use them, what’s the point? In Japan, menstrual leave has existed since the 1940s, but surveys show that less than 1% of women actually use it. Many fear it’ll make them look lazy.

Even in Nepal, where public offices allow period leave, some women said their male colleagues joked about it. They were made to feel weak for something natural.

That’s the danger India faces, too. Without awareness and empathy, this law can backfire. Instead of feeling supported, women might end up feeling exposed.

It’s About Dignity, Not Days Off

Let’s be honest,  most women don’t want to stay home every time their period starts. They just want the choice. The dignity of deciding for themselves what their body needs that day.
This isn’t about “special treatment.” It’s about equal treatment, finally including the part of women’s lives that everyone ignored.

A 2023 study from University College London found that flexible menstrual policies actually improve productivity. Women perform better when they aren’t forced to hide pain. When trust replaces judgment, the workplace becomes stronger,  not weaker.

The Ripple Effect

In Kerala, where menstrual leave already exists, I spoke to a designer named Aarohi. She told me, “Earlier I used to lie, I’d say I had a fever. Now I just say it’s a period day. Nobody questions me. And that tiny bit of honesty makes me feel safe.”

It’s such a small thing, but it changes everything.

If workplaces handle this right with sensitivity instead of suspicion, it could start a quiet revolution. It could teach boys and men what girls have always known: strength isn’t about hiding pain, it’s about surviving it.

Still, not every office is open-minded. A Bengaluru startup manager told The Hindu, “We support the idea, but it’s hard to manage deadlines.” That one line says it all:  the policy is ready, but the mindset still isn’t.

What Needs to Change Next

Menstrual leave is only the beginning. For it to actually help, we need three things: education, infrastructure, and empathy.

Schools should talk openly about menstruation, so the next generation doesn’t grow up ashamed. Workplaces must provide clean restrooms and basic facilities, not just laws on paper. And most importantly, we need empathy from bosses, from co-workers, from everyone.
When empathy enters the room, shame leaves it.

What It Really Means

When I think of this policy, I think of every woman who’s sat through pain quietly in classrooms, in offices, even in weddings. I think of the strength that doesn’t get applause, the kind that goes unnoticed.
This isn’t a reward. It’s recognition.
It’s society finally saying, “We see your pain.”
If workplaces can make space for this kind of understanding, we won’t just have better offices,  we’ll have a kinder world.
Because dignity shouldn’t be earned by pretending to be fine. It should be a given.

References

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