Karnataka has approved a menstrual leave policy that covers both government and private sector employees. The Menstrual Leave Policy (MLP), 2025 allows women one day of paid leave every month, a total of 12 days a year.

The Cabinet, chaired by the chief minister Siddaramaiah, approved the proposal on Thursday.

The labour department had earlier sought administrative approval for the policy, which applies to all working women across sectors, including those in government offices, private companies, multinational firms, IT hubs, and garment factories.

"The cabinet today approved at least one day leave for working women in various sectors, right from garments to Information Technology," State Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H.K. Patil told reporters after the meeting.

He said the proposal had suggested six menstrual leaves a year but was later revised to 12.

Bengaluru has hundreds of garment factories employing around five lakh workers, nearly 90 per cent of them women. The IT and corporate sectors also have a large female workforce.

According to the department’s estimates, more than 60 lakh women work in Karnataka, including 25–30 lakh in the corporate sector. Officials plan to hold awareness sessions with employers before the rule is implemented.

After Cabinet approval, Lad said the department had been working on the policy for a year.

“There were a lot of objections, there were inter department consultations. Women undergo a lot of stress, so those working who work 10-12 hours. So I wanted to be progressive and give them one day leave. This is a progressive step. We won’t have issue monitoring, they have the choice to take one day in a month. I am hopeful it won’t be misused. If anything needs to be added to rules, we will do it in the coming days," News18 quoted Lad.

The approval follows a recommendation from an 18-member committee headed by Sapna S, chief of the Law Department at Christ University.

The committee studied the physical challenges and health needs of women during menstruation and urged the government to provide adequate rest.

The government reviewed the potential effects on industries such as garment manufacturing, which depend heavily on female workers, before moving forward with the policy.

Bihar and Odisha already provide menstrual leave for women in the state government workforce. Bihar allows two days of leave every month, while Odisha recently introduced a one-day paid leave policy for its female government employees.

In Kerala, menstrual leave was introduced for female students in 2023. The move followed Cochin University of Science and Technology’s decision to offer menstrual leave after a student union request.

The state later extended the benefit to all universities under the Department of Higher Education.

The Odisha government announced in August 2024 that women employees in both government and private sectors would be entitled to one day of paid menstrual leave per month.

Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida made the announcement during Independence Day celebrations in Cuttack. The leave can be taken on the first or second day of the menstrual cycle and is optional.

Several companies have independently adopted menstrual leave policies. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) introduced a one-day monthly paid leave in 2025 for women in its engineering and construction divisions, covering around 5,000 employees. The policy, however, does not extend to its financial or technology subsidiaries.