'Period proof’ row: SCBA moves court, seeks norms to protect women’s dignity

The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) has moved the top court seeking directions to the Centre and the Haryana Government to conduct a detailed inquiry into allegations that female sanitation workers at the Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, were asked to show proof that they were on their period.

Terming it a “rampant violation of dignity, privacy and bodily autonomy” of women and girls in institutional settings across the country, the SCBA has also sought guidelines to ensure that the right to health, dignity, bodily autonomy and privacy of women and girls are not violated when they are menstruating.

The SCBA petition referred to several news reports highlighting "period shaming" of menstruating women in educational institutions and government offices.

"...these incidents of women and girls being subjected to invasive and degrading checks in various institutional settings to check whether they are menstruating are in gross violation of their right to life, dignity, privacy and bodily integrity under Article 21 of the Constitution. Women workers, especially unorganised workers, have a right to decent working conditions which respect their biological differences and make room for adequate concessions such that they are not subject to humiliating checks when they are suffering from menstruation-related pain and discomfort,” the SCBA submitted.

The alleged incident took place on October 26, a few hours before Haryana Governor Ashim Kumar Ghosh was scheduled to visit the campus.

In a complaint to varsity authorities, three female sanitation workers alleged that the two supervisors first forced them to clean the complex despite being told they were "unwell" and then asked them to prove they were menstruating. The women alleged that the supervisors told them they were following an Assistant Registrar's orders.

The university has already suspended two male supervisors and an internal probe has been ordered into the incident.