Spanish Government Passed Law Providing ‘Menstrual Leave’ First Time in Europe: For the first time in any European nation, the Spanish government approved a historic law offering paid medical leave to women experiencing severe menstruation pain. These leave facilities are available in a handful of countries including Japan, Indonesia, and Zambia. Equality Minister Irene Montero informed that it is a historic day of progress in feminist rights.
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Equality Minister Irene Montero noted that the move would be a step towards addressing a health problem that has been largely swept under the carpet. Equality Minister Irene Montero informed that periods will no longer be taboo. No more going to work in pain, no more taking pills before arriving at work, and having to hide the fact that they are in pain that makes us unable to work.
Montero made that observation after the law’s initial cabinet approval in May 2022. The menstrual leave law was part of a broader mandate that also bolsters access to abortion services in public hospitals. The new legislation also abolishes a condition put in place by a previous conservative administration in 2015 and permits adolescents aged 16 and 17 to obtain an abortion without parental consent.
While the legislation passed smoothly under Spain’s left-wing government, it has created divisions among both politicians and unions. One of Spain’s largest unions, the CCOO, hailed the action as a significant “legislative advance” to acknowledge a problem that had previously been “ignored.” Meanwhile, the country’s other main union warned that it could stigmatize women in the workplace and indirectly hinder their “access to the labor market”. UGT’s stance has also been echoed by the opposition right-wing Popular Party (PP).
