In his speech at the Economy Committee, where the budget for the Ministry of Health was discussed, Erion Braçe proposed that girls and women in Albania be given the right to receive a report during the menstrual cycle, a report that should be paid for from the state budget . He also proposed that the hygiene-sanitary package for cycle days be exempted from value added tax.
"Is it possible for women and girls to recognize the cycle period as a sick and paid period? [So] the report should be paid for by the state budget, because they are really considering it a disease up and down and it is good that such an initiative, which I think does not cost much, but which must be calculated, should be included in the initiatives of the Ministry of Health." – suggested Brace.
Later he added:
"The second, which is just as important: Is it possible to exclude the hygiene-sanitary package for women and girls specifically for the cycle from value added tax? Because it does not add anything to the state budget. I'm not asking what's happening in Europe for the government to pay this once a month, but the minimum I'm asking is to be exempt from value added tax."
Around the world, menstrual leave is currently only offered in a small number of countries, including Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, South Korea and Zambia. Spain became the first Western country to allow women to take several days of "menstrual leave" from the workplace each month. It is thought that about a third of menstruating women suffer from severe pain known as dysmenorrhea. Symptoms include acute abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache and fever.
In August 2018, Scotland was the first country in the world to offer free personal hygiene products to all pupils in primary, secondary and university schools.
