Kuala Lumpur: Putrajaya should consider creating a law that allows women who suffer severe menstrual pain (dysmenorrhea) to take leave from work instead of having to see a doctor to get medical leave, Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) deputy president Haniza Mohamed Talha suggested.
The Selangor state lawmaker said neighbouring Indonesia allows its womenfolk to take up to two days a month for menstrual leave.
“PBM, as a party that supports women empowerment, calls on the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development and the Human Resources Ministry to set up a taskforce to look into the matter urgently.
“We will also be writing to both ministers to put forth our views,” she said in a statement.
Haniza’s proposal follows Spain’s recent approval of a Bill granting its women menstrual leave of up to three days a month.
The elected representative for Lembah Jaya also said that it would be unfair to expect women who suffer from severe menstrual cramps to use up their annual MC quota for a condition that may occur monthly.
“In Malaysia, the most recently published research on dysmenorrhea and working women came from YouGov in 2017 where 86 per cent of women polled said they had period pain, and among those women who had period pain and had worked, 81 per cent said that it affected their ability to work.
“For too long, menstrual health has been a topic which many policy makers are reluctant to deal with, especially those from Asia, including Malaysia,” she added.
“Menstrual health is an integral part of women’s rights. Neglecting it is a disservice to half our population,” she said.
