In late May, Democratic lawmakers expressed concerns about employers not offering paid leave for menstrual cycles, labeling it as “economic violence.” Rep. Adelita Grijalva of Arizona emphasized the unfair choice workers face between earning income and recovering from gynecological procedures. She stated, “Forcing a worker to choose between paying her rent or losing a day’s pay to recover from a grueling gynecological procedure is not a choice. It’s economic violence.” This statement was made during a press conference on May 21.
Grijalva was accompanied by Representatives Yassamin Ansari, also from Arizona, and Rashida Tlaib from Michigan. They support Ansari’s Reproductive Healthcare Leave Act, a key element of her “H.E.R.” (Healthy, Equity, Rights) Agenda.
The Reproductive Healthcare Leave Act (H.R. 8158)
aims to provide up to 12 days of paid leave annually for reproductive health requirements, including severe menstrual pain, abortions, menopause symptoms, miscarriages, biopsies, vasectomies, and more. The “H.E.R.” Agenda also emphasizes studies on gynecological pain management and awareness of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder.
“No one should have to choose between their paycheck and their health,” Tlaib remarked at the press event. The proposed bill necessitates that employers grant 12 days of paid leave yearly for reproductive health concerns.
In a TIME article, Ansari, who is the youngest woman in Congress, linked the bill to her personal experiences with period pain. She shared a vivid account of waking up on her local bodega floor in distress and being taken to an ambulance. She conveyed that she undergoes extreme menstrual pain every month.
The bill, introduced with the backing of 28 Democratic cosponsors but no Republican sponsors, has met with opposition. Rhode Island state Rep. Marie Hopkins stated on social media, Ladies, you can’t keep saying men can be women, but then also say that women are a special category. You’ve got to pick a lane.
Critics on social media raised concerns about the bill possibly making it easier to discriminate against hiring women and questioned if the bill could mandate paid leave for recovering from abortions.
The bill has received endorsements from organizations like Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women (NOW), and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Planned Parenthood supports Ansari’s agenda.
Angela Vasquez-Giroux, vice president of communications for Planned Parenthood Votes, acknowledged to Bloomberg the challenges in getting the bills passed. However, she emphasized that lawmakers should continue pursuing policies aligned with their vision for the future.