Spain is planning to establish medical menstrual leaves for women who suffer from severe period discomfort. The draft bill will allow women to take three days of paid leave every month. The leaves may increase to five in certain circumstances.
The approval of the law would be the first legal entitlement in Europe. Around the globe, very few nations have approved such laws. The Spanish bill is part of a broader reproductive health overhaul that includes adjustments to the country’s abortion regulations. The bill will come to the cabinet early next week, according to media outlets that have seen portions of it.
Three-day menstrual leaves for painful periods with a doctor’s note
El País states that it is part of a broader effort to treat menstruation as a health issue. It includes the elimination of the “tampon tax” on various hygiene goods. There is a provision of free sanitary items in public places such as schools and jails. The document also contains paid maternity leave before childbirth. It also includes reforms to abortion regulations proposed by Equality Minister Irene Montero earlier this year.
As per the draft, ‘three-day sick leave for painful periods with a doctor’s note, potentially extending to five on a temporary basis for particularly intense or incapacitating pain’. Surrogacy, which is illegal in Spain, will be subject to stricter regulations under the new law. Angela Rodriguez had spoken about the potential law in March. Speaking with El Periodico, she said, “when the problem of severe period pain cannot be solved medically we believe it is very sensible that there is a temporary disability associated with this issue.”
