Under a government strategy to ensure menstrual health, Spain will become the first Western country to offer'menstrual leave' for women experiencing period pain at work.
According to the Cadena Ser radio station, the Spanish government will pass the proposal next week, with the leave being limited to three days every month. Other countries, such as Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, and Zambia, already provide menstruation leave.
According to the Mail, schools would be compelled to supply sanitary pads for girls who require them under a reform package due to be approved at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
On March 3, ngela Rodrguez, the Secretary of State for Equality and Gender Violence, unveiled a package of measures to ensure menstrual health and reproductive health recovery, including providing leave to women who have an abortion.
"The rights related to menstrual health have never been discussed and the data is chilling," Rodríguez told El Periodico. "One in four women cannot choose the feminine hygiene products she wants to buy for financial reasons. That is why we propose that they can be dispensed free of charge in educational and social centres."
Rodríguez added: "It is important to clarify what a painful period is - we are not talking about a slight discomfort, but about serious symptoms such as diarrhoea, severe headaches, fever."
Sanitary pads and tampons will be free of charge to women in marginalised social situations, with VAT deducted from their sale price in supermarkets.
The Spanish government also intends to eliminate the requirement that 16 and 17-year-olds seeking abortions seek parental consent. Rodrguez has also stated that she wants Spain to be a pioneer in the development of the male contraceptive pill, which could start human trials as early as July. It will also enact legislation in Spain to combat the trafficking of women for prostitution.
Many women who menstruate experience extreme pain known as dysmenorrhea, which in severe cases can be devastating.
