Sick days due to menstrual pain – Spain is planning a new law, critics fear disadvantages for women

Created: 05/17/2022, 02:28 p.m

By: Anna Lorenz

Additional sick days in case of severe menstrual pain, a new law in Spain should allow affected women.

But critics fear the resulting disadvantages for the female sex.

Madrid – Simple biology, well known and still a taboo subject: women of childbearing age get their period every month.

Quite a few of them suffer from sometimes severe pain during menstruation, are plagued by cramps, diarrhea, nausea and circulatory problems, sometimes even migraines and fever.

Due to its natural occurrence, menstruation cannot be classified dogmatically as an illness - nevertheless, the Spanish government wants to introduce a new law to enable affected women to take additional sick days in the event of severe symptoms.

Sick because of the period – Spanish law should relieve women with menstrual pain

The left-leaning Spanish government under socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is expected to decide on three additional paid sick days per month on Tuesday, May 17.

, the new regulation for women affected by severe menstrual cramps is

part of the planned reform of abortion law in Spain.

The proposal was brought in by Equal Opportunities Minister Irene Montero from the smaller, left-wing alternative coalition partner Unidas Podemos.

"We will legally recognize the right of women with painful periods to a special temporary stay, which will be paid for by the state from day one," the psychologist said on Friday, May 13, via the social media platform Twitter.

The scheme would be the first of its kind in Europe.

This would enable women to take three additional sick days per month if they have severe symptoms during their period, and even five days in serious cases.

"We are not talking about a slight malaise, but about severe symptoms such as diarrhea, severe headaches and fever," emphasized Secretary of State for Equality Angela Rodríguez (Unidas Podemos) according to

reports at the beginning of April.

In the course of the amendment, VAT on feminine hygiene articles such as pads and tampons is also to be abolished.

Spanish law promises sick days for menstrual pain - critics fear disadvantages on the job market

However, the planned granting of additional sick days for employees affected by menstrual problems is also met with criticism.

Some cabinet members have already expressed concerns that the regulation, which by its very nature only applies to women, could put them at a disadvantage on the labor market.

Because although the amendment stipulates that the corresponding costs should be borne by the state, employers could still tend to give preference to male applicants when filling future vacancies.

"You have to be careful with this type of decision," warned the vice-president of the UGT union, Cristina Antoñanzas, in order to avoid a negative impact of the new regulation on "women's access to the labor market".

Economy Minister Nadia Calviño stressed last week that the Spanish government would "never adopt a measure that stigmatizes women".

Therefore, several possible amendments had been worked out.

Your opinion is asked!

Vote with:

However, the planned regulation has received praise from the CCOO.

Spain's second largest trade union describes the intention to amend the law as "legislative progress" that can achieve a milestone in "making visible and recognizing a hitherto ignored health problem".

It is precisely this goal that Montero is obviously pursuing with her proposal.

"There are women who cannot live and work normally because they have really painful periods," emphasized the minister, once again referring to a certain gravity that corresponding cases would have to entail in order to make use of the intended regulation be able.

It is possible to determine that you are unable to work because of physical symptoms if they are not due to a pathological cause;

however, no consideration is given to the special situation of the women concerned.

Accordingly, the Spanish Association of Victims of Endometriosis would like a broader understanding.

This chronic abdominal disease causes the random build-up of uterine-like tissue in the body and causes those affected to suffer from particularly heavy and painful bleeding during menstruation.

"More than days off, we need an acknowledgment of our impairment," insists Ana Ferrer, head of the association, with regard to the planned law.

Whether the new regulation will be decided in Spain and, above all,

It remains to be seen whether it will manifest itself in everyday working life as modern consideration or indirect discrimination.

(askl with dpa and AFP)