Menstrual leave, a natural right at ENSTA

Menstruation is undoubtedly the most misnamed physiological phenomenon: from one month to the next, its effects can vary considerably, ranging from simple temporary discomfort to severe incapacitating pain, with this variability itself likely to change throughout a woman's life.

Above all, it is a subject that has long been invisible in the public sphere, a “women's issue” that had to be dealt with silently and discreetly, regardless of the pain suffered.

It was ultimately on the initiative of the last student council that the issue was raised in a very pragmatic and open manner.

Aure Le Biannic, inclusion officer for the FeliciTA student union, had a decisive influence on the issue by conducting a very thorough impact study based on similar initiatives carried out in universities, which are traditionally more feminized than engineering schools.

Once the conclusions of this study were known, discussions with an administration that was very open to the subject quickly led to a simplified protocol that met the expectations and needs of female students: ENSTA's menstrual leave takes the form of two half-days per month of authorized absence after a simple declaration on honor submitted to the study administrators.

“My comparative study showed that this was the best formula, offering both flexibility and simplicity of implementation, which was immediately agreed upon by the management,” says Aure Le Biannic.

This leave system is complemented by measures to combat period poverty, with the installation of sanitary product dispensers in strategic locations on campus and the provision of period panties at a negotiated price, or even completely free of charge for students receiving scholarships who request them.

"These two demands were included in our list's program for the BDE election, and I am proud to have seen them come to fruition during this term of office. I am also very proud that ENSTA is, after Télécom SudParis, the second school in the Institut Polytechnique de Paris to adopt menstrual leave for its students. With this direct demonstration of the positive effects of this new right in two pioneering schools, I hope that the other four will quickly follow suit," concludes Aure Le Biannic.