Nepal has proposed introducing menstrual leave for women civil servants as part of amendments to its federal civil service law….reports Asian Lite News Desk
Nepal is considering introducing menstrual leave for women civil servants through proposed amendments to the country’s civil service law, potentially making it one of a small number of countries to formally provide such leave to government employees.
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. If approved, the legislation would amend the existing Civil Service Act 1992.
The bill proposes menstrual leave alongside existing leave provisions available to female civil servants, including casual, home, sick, study and extraordinary leave. It would also provide for maternity leave, childbirth leave and maternity care leave.
However, the proposed legislation does not specify how many days of menstrual leave women would be entitled to or set out the conditions under which it could be taken.
Nepal would join a small group of countries with provisions for menstrual leave if the proposal becomes law. South Korea and Japan are among the countries that have provisions allowing menstrual leave, although such policies remain uncommon globally.
In India, the Central Civil Services leave framework does not currently provide a separate entitlement to menstrual leave. In March 2026, the Supreme Court of India declined to impose a nationwide menstrual-leave policy, while allowing the government to examine the issue following consultation with stakeholders.
Some Indian states have introduced limited menstrual leave provisions for government employees. Bihar and Odisha, for instance, provide two days of menstrual leave each month.
The proposal in Nepal comes as the proportion of women working in the country’s civil service has increased substantially over the past two decades.
An amendment to the Civil Service Act in 2007 established a legal framework reserving 45 per cent of civil service positions for underrepresented groups, with women allocated 33 per cent of the reserved positions.
The reservation system has contributed to a significant rise in the representation of women and other underrepresented groups in Nepal’s civil service.
According to the Nepali government’s Economic Survey 2025-26, women accounted for 30 per cent of employees working in government entities across the three tiers of government and registered with the Department of Civil Personnel Records by mid-March 2026.
That figure compares with around 8 per cent in 2008, highlighting the significant increase in women’s participation in Nepal’s government workforce.
The proposed menstrual leave provision will now be considered as part of the broader legislative process for the Federal Civil Service.
