Anamika* was in Class IX in a city school in Kochi when she was caught off guard in the school assembly. An excruciating abdominal pain left her speechless for minutes. The girl, who was on her period, sat there, enduring the crushing pain in an effort to avoid disrupting the assembly or drawing attention to herself.The menstrual cycles have always been an agonising period in the life of this schoolgirl. She used to get muscle cramps, besides the wrenching pain, that often left her paralysed.“You really have no other option but to stay in bed. The first day is the most painful for me, and I end up missing classes most of the time. The medicines are not enough to ease the pain,” rues Anamika.She recalls the times she has had to miss classes or have felt out of place among her peers when no one could understand the kind of pain she goes through during her menstrual cycle.Malavika, a schoolmate of Anamika, too has a similar story to recount. “We were in a crowd watching an event hosted by the school. Suddenly, I started experiencing excruciating pain and severe cramps. I started feeling dizzy. Eventually, I fainted and had to be carried away to the restroom,” she says.Malavika and Anamika are among the hundreds of girls for whom the monthly menstrual period turns out to be a painful affair.Enduring the pain, these girls are forced to attend the classes just to avoid falling short of the attendance requirement, which could affect their academic performance.The Kerala government’s recent decision to offer menstrual leave to school students has brought much relief to these girls. The decision has also brought back public attention to the menstrual health care of school students in the State.Early interventionThree years ago, in January 2023, the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) mainstreamed the issue of menstrual care by offering its students menstruation benefits in the form of additional condonation for overcoming the shortage of attendance. The decision, which was widely hailed, forced other universities to follow suit.Sitting in the reception area of the school, Steffi and Aparna, who also endure pain and discomfort during their periods, welcomed the proposal.“Let there be conversations around menstrual health and sex education. The decision to allow menstrual leave will be a game changer in dismantling the stigma surrounding the biological process,” feels Steffi.“The period leaves can be a mind-opener and help sensitise people who still feel weird talking about periods. It can help normalise the biological process. It is not taboo. The decision to allow the leave would trigger more discussions, and people can talk about this more openly,” she asserts.Aparna notes that “periods are not just a silly matter; some students undergo severe stress and pain. Sometimes it is better to stay home in our comfort zone and rest, and that should be a choice we all get to have. These leaves help us in that.”“Though the decision is certainly a welcome move, it will also bring with it an additional stress on teachers and even the students as we may have to skip the weekend holidays and put in extra efforts to catch up,” observes Malavika.However, Steffi quickly puts forth a solution.“Extra classes can be held for those who opt for the leave. They can also be given the option of attending the classes online from the comfort of their homes,” she suggests.Namitha George, a young lawyer who had initiated the campaign for menstrual leave for students during her tenure as the chairperson of the students’ union of Cusat, recollects the efforts that she undertook to make the idea a reality.“The union gave shape to the demands of the students and formulated a proposal, which was accepted by the university. The campaign in Cusat inspired the students of other universities and colleges too. Student organisations also raised the demand. The State government responded with an order extending the benefits to the students of all universities in the State,” recalls Namitha.Rights campaigners stanceGender rights campaigners like T. K. Anandi, while joining the students in welcoming the decision, recalls that the previous Left Democratic Front government had introduced the idea in colleges.“A proposal to give compensatory leave to women working in the government sector was under consideration of the previous government,” says Anandi. “We have seen several students writhing in pain and lying down during classes. It was also proposed that such leaves be given to school students as well,” recalls Anandi, a former gender advisor to the State government.E. Parvathy, Principal of Bhavan’s Vidya Mandir, Ernakulam, notes that many students end up regularly missing their classes due to the discomfort and pain they undergo during periods.“We approach such students with empathy and consideration. It is a natural, biological process, and all progressive institutions will accept the reality and take suitable measures to support the students,” she says.Parvathy feels that sensitising the children is important. “It is not mandatory that everyone should take the leave. Schools can take measures to help kids who miss classes to catch up,” she suggests.She further notes that many children start menstruating as early as in Class IV these days. “Menstrual leave can help these children. This move can sensitise an entire generation. There is no need to hide anything or attach a stigma to it,” she asserts.Fessy Louis, president of the Kerala Federation of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, observes that some children undergo extreme difficulties during periods and the benefit of the leave should be extended to them. Those experiencing milder discomfort should be offered requisite facilities, he adds. However, he also cautions about the possibility of the leave facility getting misused.“The decision needs to be properly implemented. The facility needs to be extended to those who have a medical condition,” he suggests.Poornima Narayan, a former member of the Kerala Gender Council, while welcoming the decision, hopes that there will be more discussions on menstrual health and related aspects like premenstrual syndrome, which affects women. “There is nothing to hide or be ashamed of menstruation. Let there be more awareness on the topic,” she proposes.Opposition to proposalWhile Aparna and her friends feel quite relaxed over the government decision, it has also left a few women, who are active in public life, fuming.Noorbina Rasheed, former national general secretary of Vanitha League, the women’s wing of the Indian Union Muslim League, was perturbed by the decision implemented as part of the Project Menstrual Dignity of the State government.She views it as a case which could cause privacy concerns for girls.“While the menstrual leaves can be seen as a move to address the health issues of girls, it also carries the risk of affecting their privacy. When such a leave is recorded, there are chances that the information could become public. This could cause unnecessary psychological distress to many children,” notes Noorbina in her social media handle.R. Sreelekha, former Director General of Police, too was vocal in her criticism.A civic representative now, Sreelekha wonders how the decision would ensure menstrual dignity for girls or even empower them. She notes on her social media page that women could carry on with life without skipping school and college despite the pain and discomfort. She also fears that making the menstruation record public could affect the privacy of students.She feels that such policies should be implemented only after ensuring mechanisms to protect the privacy of girls.“There is no shame attached to menstruation. It is a matter of pride for us women. Society need not know about the menstruation schedule of women. All we need to do is improve facilities for girls in educational institutions,” suggests Sreelekha.She also apprehends the possibility of girls being bullied in schools when their menstrual details go public.“It could create unnecessary conversations among the students. If a child does not take a menstrual leave, it could lead to tongues wagging,” she fears.Congress legislator Uma Thomas also shares the fear of the chances of girls being bullied on campuses in the name of menstrual leave.“Those who experience pain and discomfort may avail themselves of the leave. But it need not be a general rule. Menstruation is a biological process, and should not be sidelined. Schools should be equipped to provide a supportive ecosystem to help the children during the period,” she suggests.Kerala is bracing for yet another social debate on menstrual health, which was once treated as a dark little secret or a taboo. One factor is indisputable though — the decision has offered comfort to many girls like Malavika and Anamika.(*names of all schoolchildren have been changed)