A day without Meftal....The Leak Week talk!

I am trying really hard to remember that who introduced me to this amazing drug meftal spas, an angel from heaven’s above for taking away all the pain. Girls are doomed to spend eternity with it.  Although I am not critically dependent on it and I constantly brag about it to my girl friends. But still I keep an ample stock of it with me. It generally gets finished only by offering to the needy ones. My closest friend who recently shifted to Scotland  told me that she is treating her limited stock  of meftal as gold!

Suddenly God scheduled a test of endurance for me. The Shark week commenced!!! And I was in office suffering from severe abdominal pain, cramps and discomfort but still I tried to hide my pain with a painted grin. But when I couldn't withstand the agony, looked in vain for the wonder drug in my bag but its absence sucked away my remaining energy and fueled my depression. My hopes were shattered. Since I relocated to a new city for a while back so forgot to carry my angelic medicines box with me. In this new office, I was feeling totally out of the place already and this trouble hugged me. I asked my colleague whether she has it, but had no luck with it. She advised me to take bed rest as the strain on my face was clear. She told me how she ended up sleeping in office dormitory when she faced it. At that moment I was suffering from anxiety as well that taking an off from work will make my team mates think that I am not serious about work. But I felt utterly helpless and headed to my room straight away carrying a burden of guilt.

Curled up in bed while sleeping I got this idea of a bill that should be introduced for women to give paid menstrual leaves each month. At that time we are in pain, agony and suffer from fatigue and not able to give our hundred percent. Not just zero productivity, chances exist for negative one too so wouldn't it better for us we stay at home and sleep. Out of curiosity, I decided to find out whether there is any such law in other countries so this is what I got to know about it:

• A Russian lawmaker Mikhail Degtyaryov introduced a law that would give female workers two days off a month which says:

"During that period (of menstruation), most women experience psychological and physiological discomfort. The pain for the fair sex is often so intense that it is necessary to call an ambulance. Strong pain induces heightened fatigue, reduces memory and work-competence and leads to colorful expressions of emotional discomfort"

       But as expected it couldn't go anywhere and was condemned by Russian feminists.

• In Taiwan, An amendment was made to the country’s Act of Gender Equality in Employment in 2013 so that women are entitled to Menstruation Leave of one day per month, Adding 12 more days to the 30 days of half-paid sick leaves.

• Japan has had menstrual leave since 1947 termed as physiological leave.

• Indonesian women are allowed to take two days a month of menstrual leave

• South Korean workers were granted one paid day menstrual leave per month in 2001 but 2004 revision of the country’s labor law  made them entitled to time off, but they won’t necessarily be paid for it citing that the policy was being misused.

But if such type of bill is introduced in India, will we be comfortable in asking for it. We need to muster tremendous courage to tell our male bosses. It doesn't matter how confident a woman we are but when it comes to anything related to periods, we begin to blush from embarrassment.

People say it’s a gift of nature so that we can give birth therefore we should rejoice it but I seriously despise the notion of enjoying those 5 shittiest days of month, unexpected leaks, back pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, stress, bloating, loose stools, an itchy bum, bizarre cravings, whacked out emotions, the rotten fish smell, sleeping in awkward position blah blah blah…. I know I talked about gender equality at workplace in my last post, and now I am talking about the idea of demanding extra paid days off. Women are certainly equal to men, but not in case of biological events. Heavy blood flow reduces iron levels in our body. The cramps which I suffer don’t affect my male colleagues. They don’t have to deal with this trouble and discomfort. Sometimes the meftal also doesn't kick in. It’s not that I am totally incapable to do my job during this time but I won’t mind if my trouble is saved. It is applicable as much as maternity leave does. Our daily activities are influenced by the period pain and scarce sick leaves provided to us don’t help.

So I slept with these turbulent thoughts. In the evening when I woke up, I was unable to walk. The pain got worse so I had to rush to medical room of my company (should have done it earlier itself) and with a red and blotchy face, I asked doctor in low tone whether he can give me meftal. He gave me one tablet and serenity settled over me. Finally peace….

I have right to write whatever shit I want and nobody will argue with me as it’s my hormones speaking….announcing with trumpets!! :D