Spain could be the first country in Europe to introduce menstrual leave
Spain's Labor Minister and Second Vice-President of the Government, Yolanda Diaz, Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and members of parliament applaud during a parliament session in Madrid, Spain, April 28, 2022. REUTERS - SUSANA VERA
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This measure is part of a bill to modify the law on abortion, which provides for the possibility of performing an abortion from the age of 16 without parental consent.
The legislative text will be presented this Tuesday to the Parliament of Madrid while there is a lively debate within the executive of the left and among the unions.
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With our correspondent in Madrid,
Diane Cambon
The duration of the leave would be three days per month for women who suffer from
severe menstrual pain
, without having recourse to a medical certificate.
In the eyes of feminists, who are fighting to normalize women's periods, this measure would be a societal revolution, as explained by Begona Torres, an activist from the School of Gender.
“
Normalize a natural process
”
“
With this law
, she says,
we will be able to normalize a totally natural process that has long been taboo throughout previous generations.
This shows that for many women, the menstrual cycle can be very painful and can make it difficult to carry out daily tasks.
It is also important that the institutions, through these laws, take care of the women who give birth, and who for this must experience menstruation.
»
Do not penalize female workers
Some feminists within the socialist government, however, are more skeptical and fear a backlash that would penalize female workers.
Some unions even fear that women could be even more victims of discrimination in hiring, and that they are therefore more stigmatized.
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