Outrage in China: Student Asked to Remove Pants for Period Proof at Beijing Private University

International News: In a private university in Beijing, a student has alleged that she had to take off her pants to prove the sick leave at the campus clinic that she was on a period. After this incident, a lot of criticism and protest have started on China's social media. The incident is of the Gengdan Institute of Beijing University of Technology, a private college associated with a major public university. On May 15, an anonymous student posted a video on social media in which she said that when she went to take medical leave, the staff of the clinic asked her to take off the pants to confirm the period.

In the video, the student asks, "Does every woman have to take off the pants on the period so that she can be discharged?" The woman employee of the clinic replied, "Almost, yes, this is not my rule but a rule." When the student asked for written evidence of this rule, the staff refused and said that he should go to the hospital and take formal evidence.

University's rescue and policy reason

On 16 May, the Gengdan Institute issued a statement saying that the clinic staff followed the "correct procedures" and no student's consent was conducted without any investigation. A staff member said that this rule was made so that the holidays are not misused. He said, "Some students used to repeatedly ask for a holiday as an excuse to have a period; a student had asked for a holiday four or five times a month."

Student demand: required respectable and appropriate policy

The student later posted another video, in which she said that she had taken the certificate from the hospital. But she continued criticizing this policy of the university and said that women want a respectable and appropriate policy to take leave during the period. She challenged that if the school has written proof of this rule, then she will remove her video; otherwise, she will not back down.

Heavy opposition on social media

There was a huge anger over this incident on social media. Users described this rule as "derogatory," "small dictators," and "harassment." One user jokingly said, "If I feel diarrhea, do I have to have diarrhea in front of the school doctor so that I get leave?"

The other shared his story: "It is completely justified to take leave four or five times a month due to the pain of the period. My period lasted continuously for 50 days in my chronic exhaustion."

Demand for policy reform and legal attitude

In the midst of this dispute, many people are demanding clear and respectable policies for the period-related holidays, respecting the dignity and privacy of the girl students. Legal experts say that this policy is a violation of the right to privacy of the girl students and is against China's civil code as well as against women's rights.