13-member panel to submit report on paid menstrual leave: Tamil Nadu government to Madras High Court

MADURAI: The Tamil Nadu Government has constituted a 13-member committee to examine the issue of granting fully paid menstrual leave to women, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court was informed on Wednesday.

Narmada of Gomathipuram in Madurai filed a PIL petition before the Madurai Bench seeking directions to constitute a state-level committee to examine the feasibility of granting menstrual leave to working women in the state and to direct the government to formulate a policy for providing fully paid leave, taking into consideration the welfare of women.

When the petition came up for hearing before a division bench of Justices CV Karthikeyan and Sakthivel, the state government submitted that the committee comprising 13 women members had been constituted to decide on providing paid menstrual leave to women. The government stated that the committee required three months to submit its report.

After noting this, the Court appreciated the petitioner for bringing this important issue to its attention. The Court adjourned the case to January 21, 2027, directing the government-constituted committee to submit its report on that date.