MoHFW can best examine matter of menstrual leave for women employees, says personnel ministry

New Delhi: The personnel ministry has said the matter of special menstrual leave for women government employees is a health-related issue and can be best examined by the health ministry, according to a report tabled in the Parliament on Monday.

The parliamentary committee had in its earlier report recommended the personnel ministry to hold consultations with stakeholders and frame a menstrual leave policy allowing women government employees who suffer from menstrual cramps, dysmenorrhea and similar conditions to take time off from their work.

The Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice had in its report noted that 'menstruation debilitates most women and affects their productivity and performance at the workplace' and recommended menstrual leaves or sick leaves/half pay leaves per month or year for women without seeking any medical certificate or justification in return.

In its report tabled in the Parliament on Monday, the panel said the Central Civil Services (Leave) Rules, 1972 provide for a variety of incentives in the form of various kinds of paid leave for the welfare of female central government servants such as maternity leave and child care leave, among others.

A government employee is also provided with 30 days of earned leaves and eight days of casual leaves in a year to fulfil certain needs of personal necessities, it said.

'Further, the matter with reference to the requirements for the grant of a special menstrual leave to a female government employee because of the pain occurring during menstrual period is a health-related issue and can be best examined by MoHFW (Ministry of Health and Family Welfare), being the nodal ministry,' the personnel ministry told the panel.

If there is any change in this regard, the same will be widely circulated to all ministries or departments, said the report mentioning 'action taken' by the personnel ministry.

Earlier, replying to a question by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on December 8, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani informed the Lok Sabha that there is no proposal under the consideration of the government to make provision for paid menstrual leave mandatory for all workplaces.