The Kerala government has introduced a new initiative granting two days of menstrual leave every month for women students in Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs). Announced by State General Education Minister V. Sivankutty, the decision acknowledges the physically demanding nature of many skill-training programs in which women actively participate, including traditionally labor-intensive trades. The policy aims to provide better support for female trainees across more than 100 ITIs in the state, with the exact number of beneficiaries being assessed.
In addition to menstrual leave, the government has declared all Saturdays as holidays for ITI students. This change offers trainees additional time off, though Saturdays can still be utilized for shop-floor training, short-term courses, or extracurricular activities if students opt for them. To offset the lost training hours, ITI schedules will be adjusted, with the first shift running from 7:30 am to 3:00 pm and the second shift from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm.
This initiative follows a similar step taken last year by Kerala’s Higher Education Department, which introduced menstrual leave for women in all state universities. The new measures aim to promote inclusivity and better accommodate the needs of students in demanding educational environments.
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