Spain Adopts Paid Leave for Women During Menstruation: Details

Spain has passed a law, the first of its kind in Europe, granting working women paid leave during their menstrual period.

The decision was part of a package of reproductive health legislation adopted by the Spanish Parliament in 2023. This measure, now officially in effect, allows women suffering from severe menstrual pain to receive paid sick leave funded by the social security system.

The law stipulates that leave is granted based on a medical report confirming that menstrual symptoms, such as severe cramps, dizziness, or nausea, prevent a woman from performing her work normally. The legislation does not specify a fixed number of days, but rather leaves the duration to the doctor's discretion based on each woman's individual case.

Official data in Spain shows that in the first year of the law's implementation, 1,559 women benefited from the leave, averaging 4.7 cases per day, with an average leave period of approximately three days per woman.