Spain is Set to Vote on Menstrual Leave

Spain’s government is set to vote on a bill later today that would implement medical leave for women on their periods. If passed, it would be the first European country to offer menstrual leave.

🤿 A deeper dive… A draft of the bill viewed by El País said that women suffering from severe period symptoms would be given 3-5 days off work monthly.

• The leave is a baseline 3 days for women who have a doctor’s note vouching that they’re experiencing intense symptoms, but in extreme circumstances it’d be extended to 5 days.
• A study of nearly 43,000 women in the Netherlands, published in 2019, found that 85% experienced painful periods, a condition also known as dysmenorrhea.
• Spain is also voting today on eliminating taxes for women's hygiene products, expanding access to abortion services, and extending maternity leave before childbirth as part of a broader women's health overhaul.

🌏 Around the world: Japan, South Korea, and Zambia are some of the few countries currently offering menstrual leave. Paid and unpaid menstrual leave policies have also been documented in Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, and parts of India and China.