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Everytime I see a hot take on period leaves by men/women like Barkha Dutt, I lose my damn mind. Let me explain why.
I slept a little before midnight yesterday and woke up 30 minutes ago at 7:30pm: A thread
I slept a little before midnight yesterday and woke up 30 minutes ago at 7:30pm: A thread
First thing I did from bed was to check if I got my period, and of course there it was. Having slept for 19+ hours without any food or water, I was severely disassociated. My head is woozy, I'm bloated and gaseous, and my thighs, bottom wear are all covered in blood.
I had a major spine surgery 7 years ago and during winter my back hurts a ton. Add to that the excruciating period cramps and oh boy. We have a bed ridden, bleeding, crying, whining 24yo
I tried getting up from the bed thrice, only to get dizzy and fall all the times. My partner held me like a geriatric every step of the way through the 10ft from our bed to the bathroom.
Now here is the thing. Because I freelance, I could afford to "squander away" my whole Monday. Because my patner is a great caretaker, I don't have to query about household chores or food or any domestic issue.
But if I were a working woman who has to take care of her family (as most women in this country) here is how my day would have gone: I wake up with excruciating pain. Force myself to freshen up, wash my bloodied clothes & bed linen - needs to be done immediately so it won't stain
Of course how can you expect others (esp men) to wash your PERIOD BLOOD. Gross. Pop in a pain killer, get to cooking and getting everything ready for the family, get ready for office, take your scooter/public transport/cab to office. Reach office with more back pain - thanks to
Potholes, traffic what not. Sit on my chair, eyes swelling up with tears from all that pain. Contemplate taking a sick day but don't because I have only 12-14 sick days a year. So if I take a sick leave every first day of period, that'll leave me with 0-2 sick days left. And I -
Like everyone else - need sick leaves for days I fall sick and cannot afford a pay cut. So I take pop another pain killer and get to work. It's a Monday so there are endless meetings, so much work - all of which I struggle through, waiting for the day to end. It finally does.
Now I go back home in the same pothole filled, traffic jammed roads. Sit down exhausted. Need to get started on dinner and prep for the next day. Manage all of that with minimal help. Go to bed. Can't sleep because I'm tossing and turning in bed with pain so I pop a painkiller.
What I said above is what I've seen women go through for decades. Some of it I have gone through as well. Not all women go through this. Some have it easier, others have it tougher. But very, very few of us have period leaves.
So when I see average men barking off their fuckall opinions on period pain and period leaves, I wish I could transfer this pain to them. Or to Barkha Dutt and the likes. If your periods aren't painful, I'm so happy for you. But mine is. And it's the same for many menstruators.
So listen to us. Give us period leaves. And no, that doesn't mean we get to take a sick day and call it a period leave. Give us a day off to rest without cutting our pay. It is not an "unfair, extra holiday every month" ffs. We shouldn't be begging for basic human decency.
