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Spain could become the first western country to allow women to take a few days “menstrual leave” from work each month under proposed new legislation to be unveiled next week.
The Spanish government is expected to pass the law as part of a broader bill on reproductive health and abortion rights, details of which are expected to be revealed on Tuesday, according to foreign media.
The proposed law will introduce at least three days each month for women suffering from severe pain, according to the newspaper El Pais.
The paper reports that this “supervised medical leave” could be extended to five days for women with disabilities who suffer from severe pain, 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.
“We are not talking about a mild concern, but about severe symptoms such as diarrhea, severe headaches, fever.”
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 can not be solved medically, we think it is very reasonable that there should be a temporary break regarding this issue.” said gengela Rodríguez, Secretary of State for Equality and Against Gender-Based Violence in Spain, for the newspaper El Periodico in a recent interview.
“It is important to clarify what a painful period is, we are not talking about a slight discomfort, 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 free of charge in schools and educational centers.
The health bill would also guarantee the right to request a free abortion in the country’s public health care system and cancel the requirement for 16- and 17-year-olds to obtain parental consent for the procedure.
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