“This is a part of life, and while we don’t fully understand what women go through, we need to trust them when they say they need to rest this out,” Goyal said. “I know that menstrual cramps are very painful for a lot of women — and we have to support them through it if we want to build a truly collaborative culture at Zomato.”

Menstruation is such a taboo subject in India that women in many homes aren’t allowed to cook or touch anyone during their period as they are considered impure and dirty. That social shame can prevent women from talking openly about menstruation, meaning many girls aren’t taught about safe, hygienic practices.

Some in the country have tried to change that stigma. For example, Bihar — one of India’s most populous states — allows women to take two days of leave each month because of “biological reasons.” However, India’s federal government hasn’t pushed to change the nationwide rules around period leave.