Sikkim High Court has decided to grant menstrual leave to women employees for up to three days every month.

Prajwal Khatiwada, the registrar general of the high court, issued a notification to the effect on Monday with the approval of Chief Justice Biswanath Somadder.

“Women employees in the High Court Registry may henceforth avail menstrual leave of 2-3 days in a month, provided they approach the Medical Officer attached to the High Court first and obtain the latter’s recommendation for such leave,” reads the notification.

The notification added that “their leave account shall not be debited on availing such leave”.

Anamika Sharma, the project manager of DLR Prerna, a non-government organisation in Darjeeling that regularly conducts menstrual hygiene workshops, welcomed the move. “This is such good news on World Menstrual Hygiene Day which is celebrated today (Tuesday). Such a move is a great motivator to educators like us,” added Sharma.

She said it was not long ago that people, including menstruating women, would refuse to talk on the issue. “I think the continuous sensitisation on the subject is bringing about a change,” said Sharma.

The issue of mandatory paid menstrual leave for women employees was much debated in the country recently after Union women and child development minister Smriti Irani voiced her opposition to the idea.

Responding to a question in the Rajya Sabha by MP Manoj Kumar Jha on paid menstrual leave, Irani said menstruation is a natural part of life and should not be treated as a handicap. “As a menstruating woman, menstruation and the menstruation cycle is not a handicap, it’s a natural part of women’s life journey,” Irani said.

Warning that such paid leave could lead to discrimination against women, the minister further said: “We should not propose issues where women are denied equal opportunities just because somebody who does not menstruate has a particular viewpoint towards menstruation.”

Irani’s statement drew flak from certain quarters.

Few countries have already implemented the national menstruation leave. These include Japan, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan and Spain.

In India, Bihar had introduced two days of menstrual leave in 1992.