Menstrual Leave Act, filed by Gabriela Partylist, grants paid menstrual leaves to Women.

“Dysmenorrhea is not a valid excuse.”

I vividly recall our school nurse telling me those exact words when I asked if I could go home because of a massive Dysmenorrhea.

Photo from Unsplash

People tend to invalidate women who experience period pains because “It’s normal during menstruation.” But little did they know menstruation symptoms can become unbearable and extremely painful.

There is a need to value women’s reproductive health, so Gabriela Partylist filed House Bill 7758, or the Menstrual Leave Act. According to Gabriela, the legislation “seeks to provide women with the flexibility and support they need to manage their reproductive health without the fear of negative consequences such as losing pay, falling behind in work, or facing disciplinary action.”

If the bill gets passed into law, women employees in both public and private sectors will be granted menstrual leave for two days maximum per month. The law also includes a 100% daily remuneration, regardless of the nature of employment. This bill excludes pregnant and menopausal women.

Individuals, companies, trusts, firms, partnerships, associations, or entities caught violating the act will receive penalties of ₱100,000 or less. Another penalty is a 30-day imprisonment which can also increase to six months.

Photo from Unsplash

It’s finally time to keep up with countries that already have paid menstrual leaves to women employees, such as Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, and provinces in China. Even more so, it is finally time to stop invalidating women’s reproductive health just because it is part of our “nature” as women.

“Dysmenorrhea is not a valid excuse.”

I vividly recall our school nurse telling me those exact words when I asked if I could go home because of a massive Dysmenorrhea.

People tend to invalidate women who experience period pains because “It’s normal during menstruation.” But little did they know menstruation symptoms can become unbearable and extremely painful.

There is a need to value women’s reproductive health, so Gabriela Partylist filed House Bill 7758, or the Menstrual Leave Act. According to Gabriela, the legislation “seeks to provide women with the flexibility and support they need to manage their reproductive health without the fear of negative consequences such as losing pay, falling behind in work, or facing disciplinary action.”

If the bill gets passed into law, women employees in both public and private sectors will be granted menstrual leave for two days maximum per month. The law also includes a 100% daily remuneration, regardless of the nature of employment. This bill excludes pregnant and menopausal women.

Individuals, companies, trusts, firms, partnerships, associations, or entities caught violating the act will receive penalties of ₱100,000 or less. Another penalty is a 30-day imprisonment which can also increase to six months.

Photo from Unsplash

It’s finally time to keep up with countries that already have paid menstrual leaves to women employees, such as Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, and provinces in China. Even more so, it is finally time to stop invalidating women’s reproductive health just because it is part of our “nature” as women.

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Sugbo.ph Contributor
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1 COMMENT

  1. …and I hope they include the trans because you know, they say they are women or at least people should accept them as women. Therefore they should be entitled too to the leave! Good thing trans are making an impact in the lives of women daily – from taking good paying jobs to winning sporting events, trans is the new feminism that we can all cheer on.

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