London, UK — 31st January 2026: Ranjeeta Priyadarshini, a social activist from the Indian state of Odisha and founder of the global #PaidPeriodLeave movement, has won support from MPs and peers during a UK visit. Paid menstrual leave addresses severe period pain affecting up to 20% of women with conditions like endometriosis, promoting workplace equity and reducing absenteeism.
Severe menstrual symptoms disrupt work for millions, with studies showing 10-20% of women experience debilitating pain equivalent to heart attack levels. Paid leave normalises this as a health need, not stigma, boosting retention—Japan’s 1947 policy reports higher female participation.
In India The 2022 Bill extends Article 21’s right to life, proposing paid leave plus free menstrual products. It tackles period poverty by affirming dignity; Spain’s 2023 law offers three days, while Indonesia mandates two. Economically, firms gain from lower turnover, as healthy workers are 13% more productive per WHO data.
During Ms Priyadarshini’s UK visit, she not only championed the #PaidPeriodLeave movement but also advanced international law for women workers through her book of the same name. The book, International Law for Women Workers, was launched at the House of Lords on 28 January by Conservative peer Lord Rami Ranger FRSA. Hosted by the Europe India Centre for Business and Industry (EICBI), the event secured endorsements for her campaign from cross-party figures including Lord Popat of Harrow, Labour MPs Navendu Mishra, Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst and Gareth Thomas (Harrow West), former mayors Ajay Maru and Rajesh Agrawal, and councillors Raj Mishra and Janet Mote.
The push for paid menstrual leave – allowing time off for severe period pain – follows policies in countries like Japan, where it dates to 1947, and recent adoptions in Spain, Indonesia and parts of India. Priyadarshini has championed the issue at United Nations forums, arguing it belongs in global labour standards to tackle period poverty and boost women’s workforce participation.
On 25 January, the book had a soft launch at Chilika Restaurant in London, organised by the Global South Corridor. It was unveiled by Capt Arun Kar (Retd), British-Odia entrepreneur and investor behind tech firm Xpertnest; Mr Partha Sarathi Panda, party chairman for Gravesend Conservatives and Sweta Mohanty, social activist and Dr Bibhuti Bhusan Pattnayak FRSA, media entrepreneur, PRTA Ambassador, and fellow of the Royal Society of Public Health.
That evening, after the Lords launch, Priyadarshini was felicitated at Portcullis House by the Uttar Pradesh Community Association UK, with MPs including Navendu Mishra and ex-MP Virendra Sharma among attendees.
“Women are equal with men but not identical,” says Ms Priyadarshini, whose UN advocacy has spotlighted menstrual equity and is now collaborating with UK politicians on workplace reforms. Supporters argue the policy would promote dignity and equality for millions of women.
