Spain could become the first European country to introduce medical leave for women who suffer from severe period pain. Spain’s equality minister Irene Montero said on Twitter: “We will recognise by law the right of women with painful menstruation to a special temporary incapacity that will be paid for by the state from day one”. She added “We are making progress so that it is no longer normal to go to work in pain and to put an end to the stigma, shame and silence surrounding menstruation. We are making progress on rights”.
Three-day sick leave for painful periods will be allowed with a doctor’s note, the draft says, potentially extending to five on a temporary basis for particularly intense or incapacitating pain. But it is not expected to apply to those who suffer mild discomfort.
Previous studies estimate that 60% to 90% of young women worldwide suffer from dysmenorrhea – severe period pain – and in Spain, approximately 75% of women are affected, although exact figures are difficult to verify, according to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
The Secretary of State for Equality and against Gender Violence, Ángela Rodríguez, told El Periodico the new laws would benefit those suffering from particularly painful periods.
“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,” said Ms Rodríguez.
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