In 2018 a ruling by John Guillebaud, a professor of family planning and reproductive health at the University College London, equated the pain of menstrual cramps to the pain of having a heart attack.
Read More| Menstrual cramps can be considered as painful as a heart attack
So, it is only fair for women who suffer from severe period cramps, that don’t allow them to continue with their daily activities, to skip work. Luckily for the female employees of India’s largest food-delivery firm, Zomato, this is not just a far-fetched dream.
According to The New York Times , Zomato recently announced a new paid period leave policy for their 4 000 employees. Of that figure, 35% are women. The policy, which allows up to 10 days of period leave a year, also applies to transgender employees.
In a statement, the company’s founder and chief executive officer, Deepinder Goyal, told employees they shouldn’t be ashamed to apply for period leave.
“There shouldn’t be any shame or stigma attached to applying for a period leave. You should feel free to tell people on internal groups or emails that you are on your period leave for the day. This is a part of life,” the statement read.
Read More| 3 women on their first periods, menstruation blues and what they wish they knew
Although many people on social media have applauded the company for being “progressive”, Al Jazeera reports that there is dissatisfaction with the policy. According to the publication, the policy has triggered a debate between Indian women, with some calling the move discriminatory and antifeminist.
