Women in Spain suffering with painful periods could receive menstrual leave under a new policy
(Picture: Shutterstock)Spain may become the first country in Europe to introduce ground-breaking legislation for women concerning menstrual pain.
A draft bill says anyone suffering from dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) could have three days of leave a month - extended to five in some circumstances.
The bill also reinforces sex education in schools as well as the free distribution of contraceptives and menstrual-hygiene products for schoolchildren.
If the bill is adopted, Spain will join other countries, such as Japan, Zambia, and Indonesia, which allow paid menstrual leave. It will also enhance the country’s reputation for supporting women’s rights in Europe.
The new law sets out that women should be offered paid leave when suffering painful periods, with lawmakers in Spain adopting the new bill on Monday, December 19.
Alongside the menstrual leave, easier access to abortions in public hospitals is also being considered.
The proposal’s first reading in the lower house of the Spanish parliament had 190 votes in favour, 154 against, and five abstentions – which means it will now go to the State to decide.
“This legislature is a legislature of feminist conquests,” Irene Montero, Spain’s Minister of Equality and a member of the radical left-wing Podemos, told the Congress of Deputies.
She added: “We recognise menstrual health as part of the right to health and we fight stigma and silence,” she added.
Spain’s menstrual-leave policy
Last year, a group of administrations in Spain became the first in Western Europe to offer menstrual leave to their employees.
The Catalan city of Girona offered flexible working arrangements, allowing individuals to take menstrual leave.
A few months after this, Spain’s Cabinet approved the menstrual leave bill, granting workers the right to take paid sick leave due to severe menstrual pain.
“We are making a law that will ensure that women can live better,” Montero had said after the Cabinet meeting and approval.
How does menstrual leave work?
Anyone with painful periods, including those who don’t identify as women, will be offered paid leave while off sick from work, which must be approved by a doctor.
They would be entitled to three days of leave a month - extended to five, in some circumstances.
Menstrual leave was initiated in the hopes of striking a balance between workplace demands and period pain.
Despite the country’s step in the right direction, there have been a number of reservations and concerns, particularly among the UGT trade union – one of the country’s two major unions.
They believe there will be a drop in companies hiring women due to this possible new legislation and paid time off.
It is unclear how the new law will affect those who freelance, or how companies and sectors will need to reform in order to comply.
