The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday directed the State government-appointed committee to file a report on framing the rules with regard to a comprehensive paid menstrual leave policy for women employees.
A Division Bench of Justices C.V. Karthikeyan and R. Sakthivel was informed by the State that a committee had been formed in this regard.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation petition filed by M. Narmatha of Madurai, who sought a direction to the government to frame a comprehensive paid menstrual leave policy for women employees in the government departments, public sector undertakings, government educational institutions, allied establishments and special guidelines for private institutions considering the welfare of women.
The petitioner said the absence of a menstrual leave policy results in indirect discrimination against women employees, thereby violating Article 14 of the Constitution, as women alone bear the burden of a recurring biological condition and were compelled either to suffer wage loss or to work through debilitating pain, unlike their male counterparts.
She said the existing leave framework, namely casual leave and sick leave, was wholly inadequate to address a recurring, monthly biological condition such as dysmenorrhea, forcing women employees to exhaust the leave entitlements or suffer loss of wages, thereby affecting their service conditions unfairly.
The continued policy vacuum adversely affects lakhs of working women. Menstrual leave was not a concession or privilege but a public health and labour welfare measure recognised globally, she said. The court posted the matter for hearing to January 2027.
Published – September 23, 2026 08:43 pm IST
