Lex Mandamus LLP announces paid menstrual leaves for its employees and progresses towards being one of the few firms to endorse such a policy.

This policy is a 12 day annual paid menstrual leave policy for women employees. These leaves are in addition to the annual leaves that the firm offers. The announcement comes ahead of their 30-day campaign, Menstrual Equity or #ME, which will be launched through their pro-bono initiative ‘WE’ on the 28th of May, 2022. The campaign will conclude on the 28th of June 2022, which is the global Menstrual Hygiene Day.

The campaign is a specifically curated 4-week campaign oriented for women of corporate India. The campaign focuses on the need for workplaces to be more inclusive of the biological differences between employees and for them to understand their minds and bodies better, thereby assisting themselves in increasing their overall productivity.

On asking about the policy, “Menstruation has been an esoteric topic in India for as long as anyone can remember. With time, the iceberg of secrecy is gradually melting away. Many countries in Asia have also adopted such a policy. South Korea adopted period leave in 1953. Japan's period leave entitlement has existed for more than 70 years now. In India, provinces and companies are increasingly adopting menstruation leave policies with a range of entitlements. We at Lex Mandamus LLP believe that it’s time for biological essentialism to be addressed and adopted and not to be kept a luxury, thereby providing an equitable ecosystem for our employees. Our period leave policy is an effort to be the change that we wish to see in the world”, stated Adv. Shraddha Shenoy, Founder, Lex Mandamus LLP.

“Menstruation is a physiological process that needs to be treated like one in our society. It's been ages since society has stigmatized menstruation. As the ideology of women empowerment propagates in society, there is a dire need for open communication, sensitization and mutual understanding about the topic between both genders alike. We all need to understand, embrace and respect the biological differences between men and women. Women go through a lot during their period, not only physically but also emotionally. That surely affects their productivity at any task they perform. A little sensitivity on our part as employers can go a long way to promote a healthy and a free work culture promoting women empowerment and equality’’ stated Dr. Ashwini Hirekar, Partner, Lex Mandamus LLP.

The four week campaign will be focused on activities and sessions, including informative videos and interventions through the firm’s unique Legal-Medical initiative. This will help women and men to understand and to be informed about the Legal and Medical aspects of menstruation. Being informed about the Legal developments will assist them to be in the loop of the recent progress and promote awareness by focusing on the issues and essential laws that often go unnoticed. They will also get to reflect on the four phases that the female bodies go through in the 28-day cycle and not just in those 5-7 days. They will understand how each phase is different from the other. Knowing what to expect and being informed will assist women and men in understanding their minds and bodies better. This will not only improve their overall mental and physical health but will further optimise their productivity at work. The campaign, in its last week, will focus on engaging participants in an awareness and communication activity, where women and men of corporate India can participate by sharing their stories, opinions, and suggestions on menstrual equity. The email and social media messaging will serve as a platform for people to share this information. The participants also have the option to share the information in an anonymous manner without revealing their identity. The information will be shared by the firm under the hashtag of the campaign #ME, which stands for Menstrual Equity.

The campaign will conclude on the 28th of June, 2022. It aims at creating not only a safer workspace for the participants but also to go a step further by equipping the workplaces to identify the employee's needs, ensure better productivity and be more inclusive of the needs of the human assets of the company.

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