Zambia has recently implemented a law that permits employed females to take one paid day off each month. This law allows women to rest when they are menstruating. Resting on one’s period is often a healthy yet unrealistic option due to the busy schedules and the several responsibilities one may have. Africa News reports, “The law makes reference to mothers, but applies to every working woman irrespective of whether they are mothers or not.” Since no proof regarding being on one’s period is essential, this law has produced controversies due to its ambiguity and vagueness.
If practiced with integrity, this law could be a positive establishment. Many women experience heavy periods, headaches, and nausea during menstruation. These are natural conditions, but working in certain environments while facing these disturbances are ineffective and may be difficult. Since every woman encounters different effects and levels of pain while on her period, it is up to the individual to determine whether she is capable of producing quality work at her job. This requires an ample amount of trust as there is much room for people to take advantage of this law.
This law could benefit employers as ensuring their employees are able to entirely focus on their work while at their jobs and are able to conduct the best work possible, is necessary for a healthy environment and a large output. However, this law also fails to take the number of female business owners and entrepreneurs into consideration. According to a CNN report by Teo Kermeliotis and Milena Veselinovic in 2014, 40.7% of women in Zambia have the tremendous responsibility of running a business. Therefore, women are increasingly working as employers rather than employees. Depending on how large the business is and what work must get done, these female managers cannot afford to take one day off of work every month.
These female entrepreneurs are paying themselves and the accountability of fulfilling deadlines for the business in terms of inventory, inspections, and legal regulations ultimately fall on the business owner. Thus, this law comes off as not only exclusive, but also impractical to the female enterprise owner.
There is also the argument that this law only pertains to women when it should also be applied to men in the labor force. While men do not menstruate or experience PMS, they may experience IMS–Irritable Male Syndrome (andropause). Healthline writes, “ Like female menopause, andropause includes physical and emotional changes that also seem dependent on changes in hormone levels.” However, this condition is not as widely known and researched even though it affects many males. As a result, men’s body changes are also ignored under this law.
Altogether, the Mother’s Day Law has well meaning intentions and can benefit many women who undergo painful periods and work under employers. However, this law is extremely naive as it fails to address many possible circumstances. If the Zambian government finds some way to identify specific details regarding the law and was perhaps more inclusive while still maintaining a sense of practicality, the law can potentially help more people and prove to be more favorable.
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