Days after her 'menstruation not a handicap' remarks, which sparked nationwide debate, Union Minister Smriti Irani explained why she made such a statement. Union Women and Child Development Minister said that she opposed the Menstrual Hygiene Policy because she did not want women to face discrimination and harassment in the workplace over it.
On December 13, the minister opposed the practice of paid menstrual leave for female employees, arguing that menstruation is a natural part of life and shouldn't be treated as a handicap.
"As a menstruating woman, menstruation and the menstruation cycle is not a handicap, it’s a natural part of women’s life journey…We should not propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint towards menstruation," Irani said.
Clarifying her statement, Irani said, "When I spoke in parliament, I spoke from my personal experience because I don't want more and more women to be harassed."
She also said the question that prompted the statement was intended to shock, provoke or attract attention. "I could've said much more on the issue but I didn't because the gentleman who asked the question never intended to find a solution for women," she said as quoted by news agency ANI.
Irani's remarks on menstruation brought a sharp reaction from many political leaders including the Telangana Legislative Council member and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha who strongly criticised the statement and said denying paid leaves for menstruation days "ignores the genuine pain" of women.
"Disheartened by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smriti Irani Ji’s dismissal of menstrual struggles in Rajya Sabha. As a woman, it's appalling to see such ignorance, for our struggles, our journeys aren’t a consolation, it deserves a level playing field and that’s a non-negotiable," BRS leader Kavitha wrote on social media platform X.
(With Inputs From ANI)