Paid Menstrual Leave Granted

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Chinese Province Grants Women Leave For Menstrual Pain

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On Sunday, Anhui province introduced new regulations allowing female workers who suffer severe menstrual pain to take one to two days off every month, after presenting a doctor’s certificate.

Many women endure pain each month from acute menstrual cramps since their teen age.

“I just want to cut that part of my body off completely,” says Shao Jinwen’s, a starbuck employee, whose lower abdomen throbs with a familiar, all-consuming pain.

Research suggests that globally, suffer from menstrual cramps (known medically as dysmenorrhea) so crippling that they could interfere with their daily activities.  A quarter of women, on the other hand, are blessed with painless periods.

Countries That Lead the Way:

  • Since 1947, women in Japan have been granted menstrual leave
  • Since 2001, female workers in South Korea have been entitled to a day off each month
  • In 2014, Taiwan amended its legislation to grant female workers up to one day of menstrual leave a month

“Female employers might worry they wouldn’t be hired because of the extra time off.  So I’d suggest the regulation not target a specific gender, but women with specific jobs.” Says Li, who has covered issues surrounding female labor extensively as a journalist.

Source: CNN