Historical Day: "Menstrual Leave" approved in Spain
The Spanish government authorised a menstrual leave bill in May 2022, making it the first of its kind in Europe. Women who have painful periods would be granted a minimum of three days of menstrual leave each month, with the opportunity to extend this to five days if necessary, beginning in 2023, if the legislation were to be approved by the legislature.
The Spanish parliament enacted a measure providing paid medical leave to women enduring significant period pain on Thursday, February 16, 2023, making Spain the first country in Europe to do so. The bill, which received 185 votes in favour and 154 votes against, was adopted, according to the administration, in order to remove the stigma associated with the subject. Only a few nations around the world, including Japan, Indonesia, and Zambia, already grant menstrual leave.
Irene Montero, the minister of equality in Spain’s left-wing coalition government, was the bills’ main advocate. She argued in front of the assembly that women cannot be complete citizens without these rights. Irene Montero declares that “this is a pivotal day in the development of feminism.” And this choice is crucial for the health of women. There will be a break for women who are menstruating. The government will bear the cost of the menstrual leave option.
The state social security system, not the employers, is required to pay for employees’ sick leave when they experience period pain, thus they are allowed to take as much time off as they require. In the same way that paid leave is granted for other medical conditions, a doctor must approve the temporary medical disability. The length of sick leave that physicians are permitted to grant to patients going through hard times is not specified by the law. A third of menstruation women reportedly endure substantial pain, according to the Spanish Gynaecology and Obstetrics Society.
The UGT (Unión General de Trabajadores), one of Spain’s largest unions, claimed that the policy may stigmatise women in the workplace and favour the hiring of men. The proposal has sparked debates among politicians and labour organisations. The main opposition conservative party, the Popular Party, also said that the law might “stigmatise” women and have “bad ramifications in the labour market” (PP).
A woman’s period lasts four to five days and is excruciatingly painful. Regularly, this sorrow affects both their personal and professional lives. Spain decided to grant women a leave of absence because of the discomfort they experience during their periods.
After enacting numerous laws pertaining to sexual and reproductive rights, such as those regarding abortion and transgender rights, Spain became the first nation in Europe to grant employees the right to paid menstruation leave.
