Spain passes law to change gender from age 16
Deputies, activists and activists celebrate the adoption of the law in front of the Parliament, in Madrid on February 16, 2023. AFP - OSCAR DEL POZO
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Spanish MPs adopted a law on Thursday allowing people to freely change gender from the age of 16, at a time when other European countries are slowing down on this controversial subject.
Advertisement
Read more
This vote came
after months of debate within the ruling left.
From now on, with this so-called “transgender” law, all Spaniards aged 16 and over will need a simple administrative declaration to change gender on their identity papers.
Previously, it was necessary to provide medical reports attesting to gender dysphoria and proof of hormonal treatment followed for two years.
"
Today we have taken a giant step
" in recognizing the "
free determination of gender identity
", launched Podemos Minister for Equality Irene Montero, defending a law that "
depathologizes
" transgender people .
The text has been ardently defended by Podemos and by Spain's largest LGBT organization, FELGBTI+, which hopes, according to its president Uge Sangil, that this law will "encourage
other countries to follow the
Spanish example".
The text,
strongly contested by right-wing elected representatives but adopted by 191 votes to 60 and 91 abstentions, also extends this right to 14-16 year olds, provided that they are accompanied in the procedure by their legal guardians, as well as to 12-14 years old, if they get the green light from the courts.
Menstrual leave
The deputies also voted this Thursday a law creating a
“
menstrual leave
”
for women suffering from painful menstruation, an unprecedented measure in Europe.
“
A historic day
”, welcomed the Minister for Equality.
This right is still rare in the world.
Spain is also the only European country to set it up.
In Asia, several countries such as Japan, the Philippines, South Korea and Taiwan grant this right to women, as does Zambia.
Newsletter
Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox
I subscribe
Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application
LGBT+
Spain
Social issues
Womens rights