Zomato, the equivalent of Uber Eats in India, announced the news on Saturday August 8th.
Who has never hoped to take days off during a painful period? Deepinder Goyal, the founder of Zomato, an Indian food delivery giant, has made the decision to offer his female and transgender employees with painful periods ten days of menstrual leave a year. A step forward which must "foster a culture of trust, truth and acceptance".
“At Zomato, we want to foster a culture of trust, truth and acceptance. Starting today, all women (including transsexuals) in Zomato can get ten days off for their period in their midst. 'year. Why ten days? Most women have about 14 menstrual cycles per year. Taking into account the likelihood of your period at the weekend, you can now get 10 more days off compared to men. " , is it written in the company's press release.
For the boss, this is a way of tackling what remains a taboo in Indian society. Recall that in this country, some women are prohibited from cooking, touching another person, or even entering temples when they are menstruating. Deepinder Goyal adds a note for men in her text: "I know menstrual cramps are very painful for a lot of women – and we need to help them get through this if we are to build a true culture of collaboration at Zomato".
"Such leave would go a long way in making workplaces more gender sensitive," says gynecologist Surbhi Singh in the Times of India.
In 1947, Japan was the first country to grant this right to women. But it's up to employers to determine the authorized duration of these absences and whether they are paid or not, as L'Obs reminds us. However, it remains rare. According to the Zenrôren union, only 0.09% of Japanese women took this leave in 2016. They were 1.6% in 2004, 9.2% in 1985 and 26.2% in 1965.
South Korea, Taiwan and Indonesia have also followed suit.
And France?
Another eternal debate. On the one hand, this leave would be a good thing and on the other, it would push employers to discriminate against women. A solution is then positioned between these two thoughts: teleworking. The latter would be a recourse for women with dysmenorrhea to continue working, but in a more suitable framework.