In a scheme expected to benefit around 4,000 women students at the university, the Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT) in Kerala has issued an order allowing women students to apply for ‘menstruation benefits’ each semester in case of a shortage of attendance. As per the order issued by CUSAT’s joint registrar on January 11, Wednesday, the students can claim up to 2% additional condonation of attendance. The move comes as a welcome relief to the varsity’s menstruating students, many of whom had come together over the years to submit various proposals to the authorities asking for menstruation benefits.
Typically, the students of the university require a total attendance of 75% to attend the examinations in each semester. Those with medical issues will get an exemption if a doctor's certificate is produced. But with the new order, women students now require only an attendance of 73% to be able to attend the exams. The proposal still needs the approval of the academic council.
Although the students’ demand was for a fixed number of menstrual leaves every semester, the management had cited technical issues with this suggestion. The students had asked for 24 extra leaves every year. Instead, the varsity has decided to grant an additional 2% condonation for shortage of attendance for menstruating students.
“Having considered the requests for menstruation benefits to female students, the Vice Chancellor has ordered to sanction an additional 2 percent of condonation of shortage of attendance to female students, in each semester, subject to reporting to the Academic Council,” the order issued by Joint Registrar Vishnu Priyan Kartha said.
CUSAT is likely the first university in Kerala to offer period leaves to students. Back in 2017, the Kerala government had urged employers to provide period leaves to employees. At the time, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had said in the Assembly that while considering the inclusion of menstruation benefits in company policies, it should also be ensured that women are not excluded from the job in the name of periods.
As per the book Kerala in the 19th Century, written by historian P Bhaskaranunni, period leave was provided to girl students of the Government Girls School in Tripunithura, located in the erstwhile princely state of Cochin (present Ernakulam district), back in 1912.