Karnataka becomes the first State to cover both the government and private sectors in its menstrual leave policy.
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In a landmark decision, the State Cabinet on Thursday (October 9, 2025) approved the Karnataka Menstrual Leave Policy-2025 that will ensure one day’s paid leave in a month across government and private sectors.With this decision, Karnataka becomes the first State to cover both the government and private sectors in its menstrual leave policy. Odisha and Bihar have policy for government employees while Kerala has implemented the policy in universities.Panel’s recommendationThe policy moved by the Karnataka’s Labour Department follows a recommendation from a committee that submitted its report and had pushed for paid menstrual leave. It is applicable to all sectors where women are employed.Though there has been no uniform policy on menstrual leave in the country, several States and private companies have had menstrual leave policy, a Cabinet note said.To explore the idea of a menstrual leave policy, The Hindu hosted a webinar titled, ‘Inclusion, equality, or divide? Examining menstrual leave on campuses’. Is it a much-needed reform for student and employee well-being and inclusion, or does it risk creating new divides?
