MP warns menstruation leave could hurt women’s job prospects

Women may face greater difficulty securing jobs if menstruation leave becomes a separate entitlement, a parliamentary committee has heard.

Deputy chairperson and Opposition Member of Parliament Premila Kumar raised this concern yesterday during the Standing Committee on Economic Affairs hearing on the Employment Relations Bill.

Ms Kumar said employers might be reluctant to hire women with extended leave provisions.

“On one hand, we’re trying to increase the number of women employed in the formal sector,” Ms Kumar said. “And then we have this, and we have to strike the right balance.”

The Fiji Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Commission had recommended that menstruation leave be separated from the current 10-day sick leave allocation, arguing that menstruation is a biological phenomenon and not a sickness.

However, Ms Kumar highlighted the practical challenges of implementing separate menstruation leave.

“Menstruation is every month,” she said, questioning how many days would be allocated annually.

Commissioner Alefina Vuki proposed that menstruation leave should require medical certification to prevent exploitation.

“Any woman who’s applying for this leave, that leave must be justified by a medical doctor,” Ms Vuki said. “Otherwise, every other woman should come to work.”

She acknowledged that while most women can work during menstruation, some experience severe symptoms that render them unable to function properly.

Director Loukinikini Lewaravu added that separating menstruation leave would align with the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, which Fiji has ratified.

Ms Kumar asked the commission to reconsider their proposal and provide a more practical solution that balances women's rights with employer concerns in a developing country. The committee is conducting consultations until November 12 before finalising recommendations to Parliament.

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