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Maharashtra State Commission for Women has started the process to draught a model for menstrual permission successful the State. The determination comes wrong 2 days aft State Health Minister Prakash Abiktar announced that the authorities was mulling the instauration of menstrual permission for moving women. The committee held the archetypal circular of treatment with experts from respective fields successful Mumbai connected Friday (February 27, 2026).
“Only 1 circular of talks is not enough. We volition soon person different circular and a model volition beryllium created. It volition beryllium submitted to the State authorities thereafter,” Rupali Chakankar, chairperson of Maharashtra State Women’s Commission, said connected Friday.
She said that a fewer States and backstage companies person already taken a pb successful the matter. “Bihar was the archetypal State to bring successful menstrual permission successful 1992. We request to deliberation astir whether this permission should beryllium applicable lone successful authorities establishments oregon successful different places too. The Women’s Commission has started moving for the menstrual rights of the sugarcane cutting labourer women successful the past six months,” she said.
Maharashtra Legislative Council chairperson and elder Shiv Sena person Neelam Gorhe, who has been moving connected women’s rights for 4 decades, said it was important to scope a statement and hole a “carefully worded” draught that does not discriminate against women oregon origin much stigma.
“This treatment is not conscionable astir menstruation, but astir women’s wellness and hygiene. It is associated with women’s dignity, the availability of resources, (and) the equality she should enjoy. The nine gives a mixed response. On 1 hand, immoderate accidental it is important. On the different hand, immoderate accidental that it leads to favoritism arsenic women past beryllium that they are inferior and request concessions, though they talk of empowerment,” Ms. Chakankar said.
Some speakers expressed apprehension that the argumentation mightiness pb to favoritism against women and backstage companies mightiness determine against hiring women. “When maternity permission was accrued from 3 months to six months, galore companies thought astir their employment policies. At a clip erstwhile the contented is inactive a taboo, volition women not beryllium employed owed to this,” asked advocator Audrey D’Mello from Majlis, an organisation which works for women. She said it is the law close of women, arsenic it tin beryllium a portion of affirmative favoritism which comes nether the Fundamental Rights nether Article 15(3) of the Constitution. This proviso empowers the authorities to marque laws for the payment of women and children.
‘Include it successful manifestos’
Lawyer and erstwhile women’s sheet caput Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar said since parties question votes from women, they should see menstrual permission arsenic a canvass committedness successful their predetermination manifestos. She emphasised connected the alteration successful societal mindset to not see this contented a taboo. Reflecting connected however the law provisions tin beryllium utilised to bring successful the legislation, she said that the Fundamental Rights nether Article 21 (which pertains to the close to life, liberty and dignity) cannot beryllium delinked with Article 15 (non-discrimination) and Article 32 (right to law remedies).
Maharashtra Labour Department’s associated commissioner Shireen Lokhande highlighted the request for “treating unequals arsenic unequals” truthful that women get equitable treatment. She said the Shops and Establishments Act, and the Factory Act tin beryllium modified for the inclusion of menstrual leave.
Several experts highlighted the request to de-stigmatise the leave, if approved, truthful that women volition beryllium comfy to question permission for menstruation. Some expressed the sentiment that it should beryllium a flexible and optional leave, which women tin instrumentality arsenic per their aesculapian requirement. Vandana Georaikar, Deputy Collector of Slum Rehabilitation Authority, who had presented a probe insubstantial past twelvemonth connected the fiscal interaction of women’s lack owed to menstruation, said the permission volition person a affirmative interaction connected the productivity of women.
Senior IPS serviceman Aswathi Dorje, ADG (Prevention of Atrocities against Women and Children); renowned gynaecologist Rajshri Katke; erstwhile Women’s Commission main Nirmala Samant Prabhavalkar; sports trainer and planetary jock Puja Surve; sex rights and intelligence wellness activistic Laxmi Yadav; Neena Sawant, caput of the section of psychiatry, Nair Hospital were among the salient women leaders contiguous successful the discussion.
