A first in France.
The town hall of Saint-Ouen has announced that it is experimenting with menstrual leave for its female staff, victims of endometriosis or painful periods.
The socialist mayor of the city, Karim Bouamrane, said he wanted to adjust the working hours of employees on March 8, on the occasion of International Women's Day.
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“
Of the 2,000 people who work for the city, 60% are women.
It was while discussing with them that I realized that half suffered in silence.
A subject put aside if not taboo.
Strong decisions had to be made to relieve them
,” he said in a statement.
10% of French women with endometriosis
The experimentation with menstrual leave will begin on March 27.
Employees will therefore have the possibility of taking up to two days off, telecommuting or adjusting their schedule, "
without any waiting days being deducted from them
", details the town hall in its press release. .
Only a “
medical certificate attesting to the illness or painful periods
” will be requested.
Read alsoEndometriosis: these symptoms that should alert you
This initiative launched by the town hall of Saint-Ouen comes after Spain passed a law creating menstrual leave on February 16.
A first on the European continent.
Thanks to this text, any Spanish woman suffering from endometriosis is recognized as being in a situation of "
temporary incapacity
" for work.
According to figures from the Ministry of Health, 10% of French women suffer from endometriosis, a disease recognized as a "
long-term condition
" since January 2022. In addition, 53% of women suffer from painful periods, according to an Ifop survey published in October 2022.
A hotly debated topic
The introduction of these menstrual leaves therefore appears to be a solution to help these women.
Two-thirds of employees are in favor of setting up this leave, reports another Ifop survey published in September 2022. Many French companies such as Critizr, a company specializing in the management of customer interactions, have already set up menstrual leave of one or even two days per month.
The Socialist Party has also made this choice.
Read alsoMenstrual precariousness: nearly four million women affected in France, according to a survey
However, this measure is not unanimous.
The spokeswoman for the association Dare feminism, Fabienne El-Khoury, notably declared that "
it's a false good idea
", at the microphone of France Info in April 2021, pointing the finger at discrimination in hiring.
Convinced that this development is necessary for the well-being of women, the mayor of Saint-Ouen asked Emmanuel Macron, in a letter, to officially recognize menstrual leave "through a bill
"
.