Women pourkarmikas says they have no access to Suvidha cabins or restrooms. Hence, during their menstrual cycle, many of them are forced to go to vacant sites or to the space between parked vehicles to change their sanitary pads.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
While corporate companies and others in the organised sector are debating about providing menstrual leave to working women, for lakhs working in the unorganised sector, even access to bathrooms, let alone hygienic ones, still seems like a luxury. Lack of affordable menstrual products, strenuous physical labour even on menstruating days and problems in dealing with male managers are some of the other problems these women face.
Plight of pourakarmikas
Although the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) had inaugurated Suvidha cabins or restrooms for women civic workers in January 2022, more than a year later, women pourkarmikas said they had no access to these cabins. Hence, during their menstrual cycle, many of them are forced to go to vacant sites or to the space between parked vehicles to change their sanitary pads.
“Those who have their houses nearby can go and change there. But even for that, we need to take permission from supervisors. There is no question of taking leave on those days as we cannot afford to lose our pay. We have no place to get drinking water or eat our food or use the washroom facilities. Despite repeated complaints to the BBMP, we have still not received the keys to the restrooms,” said Chandrakala R., a pourkarmika in the Herohalli ward.
Mental harassment
In many households, domestic workers are told not to touch certain things, or not to go near some places (and in some cases, not even come to work) on menstruating days. When a woman takes more than three days of menstrual leave, they are taunted and shouted at, the workers reported.
“Even though the workers clean those bathrooms, they are not allowed to use them, even during periods. If they get their period while on the way to the workplace or at the workplace, they are helpless. Menstrual issues are not just physical problems; they mental problems,” said Radha, of the Domestic Workers’ Rights Union (DWRU).
She added that even in apartments where separate toilets are built for security guards and domestic workers, they cannot use them as they are always dirty and stinky.
Many women construction workers also have no access to sanitary pads or any other menstrual products and end up using cloths.
Crisis during construction
Unless the supervisor provides a small washroom on the construction site, many workers still carry water in a plastic box and go to open spaces to attend to nature’s call. Menstrual days are no exception. These women also have no access to sanitary pads or any other menstrual products and end up using cloths.
“We have to work on those days or we lose ₹400, which is our daily wage. These days, masons are a little more considerate, and if women inform that they have severe pain or giddiness, they let them rest. However, access to bathrooms is not guaranteed for us during menstruation,” said Bhagyamma, an immigrant worker from Raichur who is working in Bengaluru.
Grievances of the garment sector
The majority of the workforce at garment factories is women. The concept of period leave is unimaginable in the sector. With hundreds of workers on one floor, the four to five toilet stalls are no cleaner than public toilets. The rigid nature of work here makes it harder for women to work when on their period.
“Not all women go through pain during their periods. But the ones who do should be given special consideration. Instead of making them sit or stand in the same place for hours, there should be more flexibility. We have also noticed that many women do not even take a bathroom break to change their menstrual products as it they think it will affect the production at the factory,” said Pratibha R., President, Garment and Textile Workers’ Union.