In a commendable move, the Itanagar Capital Region Police has introduced special leave for women police personnel during their menstrual cycle.
Women police personnel will be entitled to one day of special leave during the first or second day of their menstrual cycle each month, according to Itanagar SP Rohit Rajbir Singh, who initiated the leave for menstruating police women. The special leave will be treated as on duty for all purposes.
While the debate over menstruation leave continues, the decision to grant leave to police women is a step in the right direction. The grant of leave to menstruating women has been discussed in the Arunachal Legislative Assembly and at the Centre as well but there has been no tangible outcome.
The issue was first raised in 2017 in Parliament by then Congress MP Ninong Ering. His bill, the Menstruation Benefits Bill 2017, proposed a four-day leave, but it did not progress further as the Centre felt that menstruation leave could discriminate against women, as it was not considered a disability. In 2022, Ering, now an MLA, brought up the issue again in the state assembly. The private member’s resolution sought to grant one day of leave to school and college-going girls, as well as female government employees, but it was forced to be withdrawn.
In a context where discussions about menstruation are still considered taboo, the decision to grant leave to women police personnel is indeed a welcome move. Such leave should be replicated across the entire police department and extended to other departments as well.