Spain has just made history.
The country is set to become the first in Europe to offer paid menstrual leave, under a major new draft bill.
The bill also expands abortion access for teenagers, scrapping the rule that 16 and 17-year-olds need parental consent to end a pregnancy.
The proposals form part of a broader package that will now go to parliament for debate.
If approved, workers who suffer from painful menstrual symptoms could take three days of paid medical leave per month. Up to two more days allowed in extreme cases.
Equality minister Irene Montero said on X: “We will recognise in the law the right to leave for women who have painful periods that will be financed by the state.”
She added, “It will no longer be normal to go to work in pain,” saying the goal was to “end the stigma, shame and silence around periods.”
Will It Affect Hiring Women?
Some have praised the move as long overdue, while others have raised concerns about how it could impact women’s job prospects.
Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo reported that the state would cover the cost of time off, not employers.
Montero warned: “Not hiring for this would be discriminating against women.”
But not everyone is convinced.
“You have to be careful with this type of decision,” said Cristina Antonanzas, deputy secretary of UGT, one of Spain’s biggest unions.
She added that the policy could “indirectly impact women’s access to the labour market.”
“I don’t know if it does us women a disservice,” she said during a radio interview.
Spain’s other major union, CCOO, supported the plan, calling it “justified” when severe pain prevents women from working.
They described it as a “major legislative advance” that recognises a real health problem that has been ignored for too long.
“If Men Had Periods, This Would’ve Passed Years Ago”
Inigo Errejon, leader of the left-wing Mas Pais party, didn’t hold back.
He tweeted: “If we men had periods, this leave would have come decades ago. That is the problem.”
Spain’s secretary of state for equality, Angela Rodriguez, explained that the leave is meant only for serious cases.
“We’re not talking about a slight discomfort, but about serious symptoms such as diarrhoea, fever and bad headaches,” she told El Periodico.
Some local governments in Catalonia and Castellon have already introduced menstrual leave for their staff.
Globally, only a few countries offer this type of leave, including Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Zambia and Indonesia.
Europe Watches Closely
Spain is now the first European country to move ahead with such a proposal at the national level.
It could set a precedent for others to follow.
The bill will now head to parliament for debate, where lawmakers will weigh health benefits against labour concerns.
Jose Luis Escriva, Spain’s minister for inclusion, downplayed expectations last week, saying it was still “under discussion”.
For now, Spain has sparked a major conversation across Europe about women’s health, work and rights.
And with menstrual leave and expanded abortion access in one bill, it has made a bold statement about gender equality.
