Women in Spain now have paid menstrual leave.
According to the Spanish Gynaecology and Obstetrics Society, a third of women experience extremely painful periods. Menstrual pain can be immobilizing because it might lead to vomiting, purging, fever and extreme stomach pain.
The Spanish parliament approved a law last Thursday offering paid medical leave to women experiencing extreme period pain, making Spain the first nation in Europe to do so. Though the bill was brought before the parliament last year.
The law which was approved by 185 votes to 154 votes against, is intended to end a taboo on the matter, according to Spain’s left-wing government. But Spain is not the only country with paid menstrual leave; a few countries around the world, like Japan, Indonesia, and Zambia, already grant menstrual leave.
Although the duration of sick leave is not set in the law, it requires a doctor’s clearance, just as paid leave for other medical reasons.
If every month a woman takes time off because of her painful periods, some employers might brand her as lazy and even fire her from the job for missing work. That is why laws like this that take care of women’s reproductive health are so important.
