A regulation has been proposed by the provincial government of Guangdong that entitles women to maternal benefits and paid leave while on their periods, prompting a debate regarding how such measures will affect workplace discrimination, according to a report by the Global Times.
Under the regulation, which is currently open to a public consultation run, women suffering from serious menstrual cramps will enjoy one day of paid leave each month. A doctor's note will be required every six months to make sure that the employee is really suffering from menstrual cramps.
Women are also being promised increased legal protection during pregnancy and menopause, as well as perinatal and lactation periods.
An example would be women diagnosed with menopausal syndrome that, under the regulation, will be able to apply for a lightened workload. New mothers will also enjoy paid leave until their newborn is a year old.
At present, Chinese women are only entitled to a maximum of 98 days leave from work around their delivery.
Members of both the medical community and the public have praised the initiative as a mark of progress in women's rights.
Huan Qingshan, who works at the Guangzhou Women's and Children's Medical Center, said that work stress is one of the main causes of menstrual cramps and dysmenorrhea.
"Lightening women's workload during dysmenorrhea by promising vacations is therefore proof of social progress," said Huan.
Almost 80 percent of Chinese women suffer from dysmenorrhea, according to a report by Peking University, with 14 percent of them describing the pain as having a disruptive effect on their lives.
However, there are barriers that prevent women from exercising their rights in the workplace. Some have cited privacy as a main reason not to mention anything to their employers.
"Handing a dysmenorrhea diagnosis to my boss to demand time off is very embarrassing, and I don't want all my colleagues to know about this," said Wang Yao, an employee at a state-owned company in Guangdong.
Lawyers have also pointed out that fierce competition and sexual discrimination in the workplace have forced women not to exercise the rights that they are entitled to.
"Many employers will fear that time off for periods, if made a legal right, will add to their management burden and affect their operations," Lu Dixin, a Guangdong-based lawyer, told Xinhua. "The regulation does not have penalties for employers who refuse to abide by it. The low cost of violation may make the idea of dysmenorrhea vacations abortive."