Menstruation law in Zambia sparks debate

DISCUSSING female menstruation publicly is something of a taboo in Zambia.
This is no doubt why a provision in the country’s labour law that allows female workers to take off one day a month is known as Mother’s Day, even though it applies to all women, whether or not they have children.
The legal definition is not precise; women can take the day when they want and do not have to provide any medical justification, leading some to question the provision, BBC reported.
“I think it’s a good law because women go through a lot when they are on their menses (periods),” says Ndekela Mazimba, who works in public relations.
Ms Mazimba is neither married nor does she have children but she takes her Mother’s Day every month because of her gruelling period pains.
“You might find that on the first day of your menses, you’ll have stomach cramps – really bad stomach cramps. You can take whatever painkillers but end up in bed the whole day.
“And sometimes, you find that someone is irritable before her menses start, but as they progress, it gets better. So, in my case, it’s just the first day to help when the symptoms are really bad.”
Women in Zambia do not need to make prior arrangements to be absent from work, but can simply call in on the day to say they are taking Mother’s Day.
An employer who denies female employees this entitlement can be prosecuted.
Ms Mazimba’s boss, Justin Mukosa, supports the law and says he understands the pressure women face in juggling careers and family responsibilities.
A married man himself, he says the measure can have a positive impact on women’s work:
“Productivity is not only about the person being in the office. It should basically hinge on the output of that person.”
But he admits there are problems with the current system in terms of losing staff at short notice and also the temptation for people to play the system:
“It could be abused in the context that maybe an individual might have some personal plans they wish to attend to so she takes Mother’s Day on the day.
Not everyone is so supportive of Mother’s Day, and there are many women among the critics.
Mutinta Musokotwane-Chikopela is married and has three children.
She has a full-time marketing job but never takes Mother’s Day, arguing that it encourages laziness in working women.
“I don’t believe in it and I don’t take it. Menses are a normal thing in a woman’s body; it’s like being pregnant or childbirth,” she says.
“I think women take advantage of that, especially that there’s no way of proving that you are on your menses or not.”
Ms Chikopela says the provision should have been made more clear in the law.
“The problem in Zambia is that we have too many holidays – including a holiday for national prayers. So I guess Mother’s Day makes those that love holidays happy.”