In March 2023, the city of Seine-Saint-Denis introduced menstrual leave for its municipal employees, suffering from painful periods. The measure has since spread to around ten communities across France, where 2.5 million women suffer from painful menstruation.
“Today, 47 agents benefit from menstrual leave. This is a promising figure,” estimates Pascale Labbé, vice-president of the Department in charge of gender equality, while the system still affects less than 1% of the 5,600 employees.