Spain could become the first European country to pass a law giving women who experience severe pain during their periods the right to take sick leave.
The measure is part of a bill that will go to the Spanish executive for approval next week.
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The core of the project is expanding access to abortion for Spanish women. According to the text, which the local radio station Cadena SER had access to, the law envisages allowing young people from the age of 16 to access the procedure without parental consent. It also aims to ensure that abortions are performed in public hospitals.
However, according to the local press, the bill includes chapters dedicated to other women’s health issues.
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According to Cadena SER, one of those sections deals with menstrual health and grants women the right to take sick leave for up to three days while menstruation continues.
2 of 3 Feminist demonstration in Malaga, southern Spain, 2018 — Photo: Reuters/Jon Nazca
Feminist demonstration in Malaga, southern Spain, 2018 — Photo: Reuters/Jon Nazca
The Spanish Secretary of State for Equality, Angela Rodriguez, is one of the main figures behind the project.
In an interview with the newspaper El Periodico in March, she said the right to leave the country should be granted to women suffering from colic and other severe pain.
“If the problem cannot be solved clinically, we think it makes a lot of sense to do so [o direito a] a temporary disability associated with this problem,” he said.
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“It is important to clarify what painful menstruation is. We are not talking about minor complaints, but about serious symptoms such as diarrhoea, severe headaches and fever.”
If symptoms like these appear related to an illness, workers are entitled to leave their positions until they recover, according to the secretary. “The same should happen with menstruation. There is a possibility that if a woman has a very painful period, she can stay at home.”
“There is a study that says that 53% of women suffer from painful menstrual periods and in the youngest this percentage is 74%. This is unacceptable and should give doctors and society food for thought,” said the secretary of El Periodico.
3 out of 3 study says 53% of women experience painful periods — Photo: Getty Images/Via BBC
Study says 53% of women suffer from painful periods Photo: Getty Images/Via BBC
The bill presented by Rodriguez also includes chapters dedicated to access to menstrual hygiene products.
According to the Spanish press, the text suggests that schools should be obliged to provide pads and other feminine hygiene products to all pupils.
It also stipulates that these items are free for women in vulnerable situations or women who are in prison.
For the others, the draft law provides for the abolition of taxes related to these products.
In addition, the text proposes that contraceptives and the morningafter pill be publicly funded and distributed free of charge to schools during awareness campaigns.
Design changes reserved
According to the local press, the draft law is to be submitted to the Spanish executive for approval next Tuesday (May 17).
According to El País newspaper, the Council of Ministers (composed of the governor, his deputy, ministers and other secretaries) has not reached consensus on the final text and changes can still be made.
Government sources heard from the vehicle say aspects of the document, such as the menstrual license and taxation of feminine hygiene products, are still subject to change as they require intervention from ministries such as finance or health.
Menstrual sheets are already recognized in a number of other countries including Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea and Zambia.