Historic move: Spain approves ‘menstrual leave’, first such step in entire Europe
Time to shift focus to women’s health, menstrual hygiene (representative image).
In a historic development, lawmakers in Spain on Thursday (February 16) gave final nod to a law that will grant paid medical leaves towomen who are suffering from severe period pain. With this, Spain has become first European country to approve such a legislation."It is a historic day for feminist progress," Equality Minister Irene Montero tweeted before the vote.
The legislation allows workers experiencing period pain to take as much time off as they need. State social security system and not employers will pick up the tab for the sick leave. A doctor must approve the temporary medical incapacity of the worker in order to take the menstrual leave.
The length of sick leave that doctors will be able to grant to women suffering from painful periods has not been specified in the law.
About a third of women who menstruate suffer from severe pain, according to the Spanish Gynaecology and Obstetrics Society.
The measure has found supporting and opposing voices. UGT, one of Spain's largest trade unions, warned that such a menstrual leave could stigmatise women in the workplace and make companies favour recruitment of men.
The main opposition conservative Popular Party (PP) also warned the law risks "stigmatising" women and could have "negative consequences in the labour market" for them.
"Menstrual leave" is one of the key measures in the broader legislation, which also provides for increased access to abortion in public hospitals.
Less than 15 per cent of abortions performed in the country take place in such institutions, mainly because of conscientious objections by doctors.
The new law also allows minors to have abortions without parental permission at 16 and 17 years of age, reversing a requirement introduced by a previous conservative government in 2015. The legislation also allows anyone to change their registered gender legally above the age of 16.
Spain, a European leader in women's rights, had decriminalised abortion in 1985, and in 2010, it passed a law that allows women to opt freely for abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy in most cases.
(With inputs from agencies)
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