Menstruation will be regarded as a legitimate excuse for absence from this fall semester, relieving female students from the pressure to fight their menstrual pain to take attendance.
According to the online announcement made at HUFS official website on Aug. 30, only two absences due to a period will be forgiven. Students must download the form from the website and submit it directly to the professor within seven days of their period. Additionally, menstrual leave is permitted separately with the standard absence range of ‘within 1/4 of a semester.’
The school arrived at the decision in response to requests for women rights protection from student councils and the Human Rights Commission.
HUFS’ decision found favorable responses from the students as absences from having a period was made official regardless of their department. Previously, only two departments, Business Administration Division and Dept. of Arabic, approved menstrual absences. It is also positive that not only a policy now encompasses all female students, but also the entire period duration without the submission of a doctor’s prescription.
However, some raise concerns that the policy has some room for improvement. According to the Emergency Planning Committee, the number of admissions for two semesters is insufficient compared to the number of menstrual periods the female students will experience on average during one semester. More importantly, menstrual absence may be rejected because the policy acknowledges teachers’ discretion.