00:00Nairobi County has set a historic precedent in East Africa in a landmark decision approved by Governor Johnson-Sakaja.
00:09Female employees under the Nairobi City County government have been granted two fully paid menstrual health days every month.
00:18This new policy is not a sick leave deduction. It is a standalone entitlement designed to acknowledge the biological reality millions of women face.
00:30Under this new framework, women no longer need to feign illness or power through debilitating pain.
00:36The policy aims to dignify the workplace, boost long-term productivity, and reduce the stigma surrounding menstruation.
00:45So, what are Nigerian women enjoying by comparison?
00:49Unlike their counterparts in Nairobi's public sector, the vast majority of Nigerian women are not enduring a government-mandated menstrual leave.
01:01There is currently no provision in Nigerian labor law granting paid time off specifically for menstruation.
01:08For most especially in the civil service and informal sector, debilitating crimes remain a personal struggle rather than a professional consideration, requiring women to use limited sick days or simply soldier on.
01:24Furthermore, while the Nigerian government has launched a national policy on menstrual health, it focuses mainly on hygiene, reducing period poverty and improving access to water rather than granting the professional right to rest.
01:43Nairobi has elevated menstrual health to a labor right, structurally integrating it into the machinery of government employment.
01:52Nigeria can vastly largely treat it as a hygiene issue for many or a corporate perk reserved for the lucky few in the modern startups.
02:03For now, the distinction is clear.
02:06The woman in Nairobi's city hall has the legal backing to pause and recover.
02:11While her counterpart in the Nigerian ministry must rely on a benevolent boss or her own resilience to make it through the month.
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