She said that an employer should be legally bound to give menstrual leave to women employees.
"There should be a provision legally for menstrual leave and the (woman) employee can decide whether she wants to avail it or not," Karat told PTI over the phone.
"Menstrual patterns differ, so it should be left to the employee," the party's politburo member said.
"The employer should be legally bound to give menstrual leave over and above the leave rights of all employees," Karat said.
"Women are suffering from various physical difficulties during the time of menstruation. Now, debates on period leave are coming up. Serious debates should happen on the matter considering menstruation as a biological process," Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in the state Assembly.
In a first in Kerala, a leading media group had introduced period leave for women employees in its TV news channel.
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