New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre and the Government of Delhi to consider the demand for grant of paid leaves to women employees during their during menstruation every month. This order was passed by the bench headed by Chief Justice DN Patel.
It is worth mentioning that the petition in this regard has been filed by the Delhi Labour Union. On behalf of the petitioner, advocate Rajiv Aggarwal said the number of women workers in the Central and Delhi government offices is very good. Currently, women are working in every field, whether they are as skilled labourers, unskilled labourers or as officers. These women workers have been given permanent and temporary or contractual employment.
Menstruation is a Biological Process
It has been said in the petition that because of the menstruation, which is the biological need of women, they should be given different facilities from the rest of the employees. The petition has demanded that apart from providing separate and clean toilet facilities at the time of menopause, women should be given leave along with casual leave with salary. At the time of menstruation, women should also be provided with free sanitary napkins.
According to the petition, in view of the Article 15 (3) of the Constitution, the Central and Delhi governments should give separate facilities for women, but the governments do not provide any such facilities to them. Female employees and workers are treated as male employees. Women have to go through menstruation four to six days a month but no special arrangements are made for them.
For the rights of women, Poonam Kaushik, advocate and of the Progressive Women’s Organization, has demanded from the Delhi and the Central governments that they should take necessary steps for the women, following the directions of the High Court.
She said that labour laws are not followed in unorganized sectors where there are no facilities for women. In such a situation, this order of the Delhi High Court is very important. She hoped that Delhi and the Central governments would consider this demand seriously. Women need clean toilets and sanitary napkins during menstruation. Free sanitary napkin vending machine should be installed in toilets for a city like Delhi so that women can use it.
Poonam Kaushik said that menstruation is a biological need of women and special attention is needed during menstruation period when women need rest as well. At that time women should be given paid leave. This will be an important step in the direction of making women self-reliant and their economic empowerment.
Advocate Jaya Devi in her observation said women have to face harassment during the periods. The governments – Centre and Delhi -- have failed to address this problem so far.
Jaya Devi further said that the stigma or a kind of torture attached to this biological period should be eradicated. The society and the government should adopt a very sensitive attitude towards women. She said that special facilities should be provided in public toilets for women in a city like Delhi. She also said that special attention needs to be paid to working women. They should be given paid leaves for the menstruation period. Only then women can get freedom from torture or stigma associated with a natural process like menstruation.
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