No-one will hire women - India s top court rejects menstrual leave petition

India's highest court has turned down a request for menstrual leave for women in the workforce and female students. The judges expressed concern that if such a law were enacted, “no-one will hire women.” The bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, stated that mandatory leave might lead young women to feel they are “not at par” with their male counterparts and could be “harmful for their growth.” The issue of menstrual leave has divided opinions in Indian society; while some support the judges' stance, others believe that taking a day or two off can help women manage painful menstrual periods. Over the years, several states and large private companies in India have started to offer menstrual leave. The court's remarks came during the hearing of a petition from lawyer Shailendra Mani Tripathi, who sought a national policy on menstrual leave, as reported by legal website LiveLaw. Tripathi later shared with the news agency IANS that he had hoped for “two-to-three days of leave” for working women to help with menstrual issues. However, the judges argued that such a policy would not aid women and could instead reinforce gender stereotypes, negatively impacting their job prospects. They warned that this might make employers in the private sector reluctant to hire women, ultimately discouraging their recruitment. The judges mentioned that “the government could develop a menstrual leave policy in consultation with all stakeholders,” according to LiveLaw.