Certa Foundation, a local NGO, is championing debates around women accessing menstrual leave in Rwanda, that are aimed at influencing the enactment of a new policy around this in the labour law.

Menstrual leave is a type of leave where a person has the option to take paid or unpaid leave from their employment due to symptoms that affect their job performance.

Supporters of this move compare it to maternity leave and support it to promote women’s health. They also believe that this will remove the taboo around menstruation and recognise the physical discomforts that it can cause.

Their concern is that those with severe symptoms are punished for the reality of their own bodies, and their careers suffer.

In their weekly ‘Café Juridique’, Certa Foundation held a discussion under the theme "evaluating the impact of menstrual leave on national labour laws and company leave policies.”

"What gave us the green light for this discussion was if we can enact laws on other Sexual Reproductive Health related matters like miscarriage, stillbirths, as seen in the 30/08/2022 Ministerial Order- subjects we have deemed ‘private matters’ in the past, we must in the same breath be able to talk about menstruation too, because these are things which the female body experiences, and acknowledging women in this light will reduce stigma to request for leave when they are not physically capable of carrying out their responsibilities as usual,” Shaki Mukiza, Policy and Advocacy Officer at Certa Foundation said.

Mukiza added that women who can also work from home may find comfort in this leave because their productivity has a possibility to increase since they can get rest, medicate and do a portion of their work simultaneously.

"However, working from home cannot be prioritised over the well-being of an employee but rather making it mandatory for women to have at least 1 to 2 days of leave with the exception of being able to work from home if and when physically capable,” she noted.

Indeed, a 2022 Ministerial order determines circumstantial leave for people who give birth to a stillborn baby, or have a miscarriage, and those whose child die after birth.

"It should be paid and also included in the labour law. It shouldn’t be included in the sick leave because women have their periods every month but they might not get sick every month. Having it in the law and mandatory will make employers respect it more,” Phoebe Kayitesi, a participant said.

Some people, however, think otherwise. Benoit, a law student at Kigali Independent University, slightly opposed the idea, saying that some investors get discouraged to invest in Rwanda because employees have many leaves, adding menstrual leave will discourage more investors.

"Rwanda needs investors who claim that we have many leaves. If we add menstrual leave, it will be somehow exaggerated. I think we can use the sick leave we already have and if someone needs extreme medication they can go with the sick leave,” he said.

In a 15-hour Twitter poll by The New Times, asking if a menstrual leave is overdue or unnecessary, 62 per cent of 66 respondents voted for the leave, while 38 per cent voted that it was unnecessary.

Some of the arguments for those against the idea are that it is unnecessary for women to take leave every month because they might use it as a reason to stay away from work. And that also, there won’t be any proof to be granted leave.

Others argue that it is an invasion of privacy because women may not be comfortable disclosing their menstrual status to their employees.

Some also invalidated the move claiming that more urgent issues need attention.

Countries such as Japan, South Korea and Zambia already have menstrual leave, while Spain and Australia may have it in place by next year.