Nepal Proposes Menstrual Leave For Women Civil Servants

Nepal has proposed menstrual leave for female civil servants by amending the Civil Service Act 1992, potentially making it one of the few countries to formally provide such leave to women working in government services.

The provision is included in the Bill to Amend and Consolidate Laws Relating to the Federal Civil Service, which was registered at the Federal Parliament Secretariat this week.

Bill Proposes Menstrual Leave Alongside Other Benefits

If passed, the bill would add menstrual leave to the existing leave facilities available to female civil servants. Women would continue to be entitled to casual leave, home leave, sick leave, study leave and extraordinary leave, along with menstrual leave, maternity leave, childbirth leave and maternity care leave.

However, the proposed legislation does not specify the conditions for menstrual leave or the number of days women would be allowed to take during menstruation.

Nepal would join a small group of countries with provisions for menstrual leave for women employees. South Korea and Japan are among the countries that have such provisions, while most countries do not provide a separate menstrual leave entitlement for government employees.

India Has No Central Menstrual Leave Provision

In India, the Central Civil Services leave framework does not provide a separate entitlement to menstrual leave.

In March 2026, the Supreme Court of India declined to impose a nationwide menstrual-leave policy but allowed the government to consider the issue after consultation.

Some Indian states have introduced limited menstrual leave provisions. Bihar and Odisha, for instance, provide two days of menstrual leave per month to government employees.

Women’s Representation In Nepal Civil Service Rises

The proposal comes as the representation of women in Nepal’s civil service has increased significantly over the past two decades.

In 2007, an amendment to the Civil Service Act 1993 established a legal framework requiring 45 per cent reservation in civil service positions for underrepresented groups, with 33 per cent of the reserved positions allocated to women.

The measure has contributed to a significant increase in the representation of women and other underrepresented groups in Nepal’s civil service.

According to Nepal’s Economic Survey 2025-26, female employees working in government entities across the three tiers of government and registered with the Department of Civil Personnel Records (Nijamati Kitabkhana) accounted for 30.0 per cent by mid-March 2026, up from around 8 per cent in 2008.