Menstrual leave for schoolgirls in Kerala: The impact of a book on CM VD Satheesan

Almost a year ago, Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan, an avid reader, was asked which book he was reading at the time. Satheesan said it was a book that had amazed him, and even made him love his wife more.

The CM said at the event, "The name of the book is 'The Menopause Brain'. Probably it's a book that women should read. But one of my friends asked me to read it. I did, and I'm amazed."

At a time when Kerala has just announced the decision to implement menstrual leave for schoolgirls, up to three days, which is probably the first of its kind in the country, we can't help but wonder whether the book had any role to play in it. Kerala is planning to let schoolgirls take up to three days of menstrual leave a month. Here's what Satheesan observed about what he learned from Lisa Masconi's book.

What the book taught VD Satheesan
At the event, VD Satheesan said, "Women have various stages in their lives - puberty, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause. It is connected to their ovaries. I was impressed by how well it sketches women's lives, the physical and mental challenges they go through, on a research-oriented basis. It is written by Lisa Masconi."

Satheesan said it even changed his attitude towards his wife. "In the past, at times when I used to call my wife, if she said something like 'I have a headache,' I used to respond, 'You always have headaches.' Now, after I read the book, I ask her, 'Is anything else wrong? Are you ok?' After an hour, I call her and ask again whether her headache is gone. I am yet to complete it," Satheesan said at the time.

Menstrual leaves across the world
In Spain, there is a national law that grants menstrual leave to both students and workers. In countries like Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Zambia, too, there are menstrual leave policies implemented in workplaces. These countries also have paid leave during the period. Interestingly, the use of the leaves is under 1%, as cultural stigmas and fears of career issues remain major concerns there.

A month ago, India's Supreme Court declined to mandate a nationwide paid menstrual leave policy, saying that it can discourage employers from hiring women. At the same time, it also said menstrual health is a fundamental right under Article 21.

How menstrual leave helps
Severe period pain is very common, and according to a 2016 study by the US National Library of Medicine, it's a leading cause of absences from work for women of reproductive age. The period symptoms like pelvic and abdominal cramping, vomiting, headache, dizziness, tiredness and nausea make it difficult for people to study, concentrate in classes, work or cope with expectations.

Enforcing menstrual leave has the following benefits, according to Medical News Today:
a) It wipes out the taboo on menstruation-related discussions
b) It lets menstruating people reserve their medical leaves for times when they actually get sick
c) It also helps women contribute better to their work or education as they get the required rest.