Writing Contest: Menstrual Leaves-Should or Shouldn’t be

Menstrual Leaves have been controversial ever since early 20th Century when it was introduced first. Write your opinion on why menstrual leaves should or shouldn’t be given. Share tips on how this can be useful to the women working force in India and South Asian communities and if you think menstrual leaves are not necessary, let us know why. What challenges does this pose for an employer as well as an employee?

Wikipedia says “Menstrual leave is a type of leave where a woman may have the option to take paid or unpaid leave from her employment if she is menstruating and is unable to go to work because of this. Menstrual leave is controversial because it can be seen as a criticism of women’s work efficiency or as sexism.”

“The concept of menstrual leave started in Japan in the early 20th century. In the 1920s, Japanese labor unions started to demand leave (seiri kyuka) for their female workers. In 1947, a law was brought into force by the Japanese Labor Standards that allowed menstruating women to take days off work. Then a unique legislation of its kind, it is now found in a few countries. Debate continues as to whether it is a medical necessity or a discriminatory measure.”

Send us your story in any creative format and get a chance to get your work published on our blog and win exciting goodies! We welcome entries from everyone, regardless of whether you menstruate or not.

A few guidelines for the submissions:
Story submission (written) – Article should be between 800 to 1000 words in a .doc/.docx file
Poetry submission (written) – Submit composition in a .doc/.docx file
Poetry submission (spoken) – Audio/Video should be clearly audible and of good quality. Video will be highly preferred.

Please note that the written piece should be your original composition. In case your story is inspired by some other piece of writing, share the link and reference and give due credits.

Last date for submissions – 31th January, 2017