From Spain to Japan, a look at countries who experimented with menstrual leave for women

On Thursday, the Spanish parliament made a monumental decision to approve legislation that planned to introduce paid “menstrual leave” in the workplace.  The move made Spain, the first country in the continent of Europe, to bring out such legislation, Politico reported. The Spanish Congress asserted in a statement that this Bill will enable women to call in sick, “in case of incapacitating menstruation”. The legislation was adopted by the Spanish parliament by 185 votes against 154, with three abstentions, Politico reported. 

While this move from the Spanish parliament came as a relief to the working women in the country, it is not that common to have such legislation in place. Spain became the first country to bring such legislation, however, there are some nations in the world, where such initiatives are culturally rooted. Here’s a list of countries that experimented with offering menstrual leave to women. 

The Soviet Union - Where the root lies

According to Elizabeth Hill, associate professor at the University of Sydney, the roots of such legislation lie way back in the erstwhile Soviet Union. In a study, Hill and her colleagues retraced the first legislation on menstrual leave back to the Soviet Union where it was first introduced in 1922. The act was called, “The Bolshevik menstrual policy,” where the women working at the factories were provided with monthly leave of two to three days during their menstrual cycle, the leave used to be fully paid. However, it was still unclear if the legislation lasted till the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Attempts were made to introduce similar legislation in Russia back in 2013. However, the motion failed to get approved by Kremlin. 

Japan - The leaves became the Industrial right

It was the year 1947 when Japan became the second country to introduce paid menstrual leaves. According to Euronews, the Japanese government thought that the legislation can be introduced as an Industrial right for women, in places where the working condition is inadequate. The Article 68 of Japan’s Labour Standard Act says, “When a woman for whom work during menstrual periods would be especially difficult has requested to leave, the Employer shall not have said woman work on days of the said menstrual period". The legislation also provided employers with some level of discretion, to grant leave accordingly. The legislation still remains in force, however, critics call it controversial due to fears of “discrimination”.

 South Korea - A move appreciated but rarely used

In South Korea, Article 73 of the Labour Standards Act states that employees can take one day of unpaid leave per month. Women employees can cash in on these benefits, irrespective of the position they are working on. However, the benefits are rarely used by women in the country. According to CNN, in a 2013 survey, only 23.6% of South Korean women used the provision, and the figure fell to 19.7% in 2017. As per the reports by Euronews, some South Korean men call this move discriminatory and accuse it to be a form of “reverse sexism”.

Indonesia: Remains divided 

One year after Japan, its erstwhile colony, Indonesia introduced menstrual leave, treating the right as an industrial right as well. Things lasted in the 1990s as well. In accordance with the 1993 Ministerial Regulation, employers are required to provide “primary medical care to the female workers”. The International Labour Organisation called this move unique and asserted, “A unique provision of the Labour Law of Indonesia is that female workers, in addition to cash maternity benefit, are also entitled to two days of paid leave for the first and second day of their menstrual cycle. This provision saves the employer sixteen to eighteen days of wages during the period of pregnancy of the employee. However, the provision is in practice discretionary.” However, things changed in 2003 when the Indonesian administration removed the mandatory aspect from the legislation after several people protested against it. 

Taiwan - Stretching the boundaries 

The concept of Menstrual leave was introduced in the Island nation back in 2002, it was amended later in 2013. According to the Taiwanese news outlet, Taipei Times, The Gender Equality in Employment Act, gives women three days of “menstrual leave per year.” The workers on Menstrual leave only receive 50% of their salary and the leaves are not deducted from the already provided 30 days of regular sick leaves.

Zambia: The ‘Mother’s Day leave’ 

The South African country, ensured that women get rest during their menstrual cycle, in their culture. However, according to The Global Citizen org. it was the year 2017 when the government of Zambia gave women one day of menstrual leave every month. The legislation is called  “Mothers Day,” and is even applicable to women without a child. 

Overall, while the move can be seen as a welcome affair around the world, its applicability in these countries has remained a matter of concern. Some of the women in these countries don’t even use the provision which is at their disposal, while others call the move burdensome or even discriminatory. However, in Spain, the move came as a welcome breeze. According to Politico, the Thursday bill came as a part of a broader law, which aims to facilitate access to abortions in public hospitals.