Spain could become the first western country to allow women to take a few days "menstrual leave" from the workplace each month, under proposed new legislation to be unveiled next week.
The Spanish government is expected to approve the move as part of a broader bill on reproductive health and abortion rights, details of which are expected to be revealed on Tuesday, according to national media.
The proposed law will introduce at least three days off each month for women suffering from recurrent severe pain, according to the newspaper El Pais.
The newspaper reports that this "medical supervision leave" can be extended to five days for women with disability periods suffering from severe cramps, nausea, dizziness and vomiting.
Worldwide, menstrual rest is currently only offered in a small number of countries, including Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea, and Zambia.
According to the Spanish Association of Gynecology and Obstetrics, about a third of women who menstruate suffer from severe pain known as dysmenorrhea.
Symptoms include acute abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, and fever.
"When the problem cannot be solved medically, we think it is very reasonable that there should be temporary incapacity for the issue," gengela Rodríguez, Spain's Secretary of State for Equality and Against Gender-Based Violence, told El Periodico newspaper in a recent interview.
"It is important to clarify what a painful period is, we are not talking about a mild concern, but about serious symptoms like diarrhea, severe headaches, fever," she added.
The bill will also reduce VAT on female hygiene products in stores and make period products available free of charge in schools and educational centers.
Source: Euronews
