The government in Spain are working on new proposed legislation that would allow women who suffer from painful periods to take three days menstrual leave a month.
If approved, the new law will go through as a part of a wider bill on reproductive health and abortion laws on Tuesday, May 17. It is likely to include at least three sick days leave each month for women who suffer from extreme period pains.
Menstrual leave would be medically supervised and only possible with a doctors letter, and could be extended to five days for women with intense pain accompanied by symptoms such as nausea, dizziness and vomiting, according to El País.
This proposed new law would affect women who suffer from painful periods classed as dysmenorrhea, which studies have indicated 60% to 90% of young women globally suffer from. The condition’s symptoms include severe abdominal pain, headaches, fever and diarrhoea.
However, Spanish politicians have stressed that the draft is still being worked on, and still requires approval. As of today, menstrual leave for employees is implemented in a small number of countries worldwide such as South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Japan and Zambia. An approval would mark the first bill of its kind in Europe, and hopefully would set a precedent for similar bills across the rest of the continent and the world.
Words by Megan Zara Walsh.