Period leave: UK charities ask for change after Spain comes close to passing period pain law

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Charities have asked the UK to provide monthly leave for those with monthly pain.

Spain may become the first European country to implement this measure, as the Council of Ministers approved a bill allowing paid time off from work.

Spain says the state social security system, not employers, will pay for this and will require a medical certificate. In extreme cases, it may take up to five days each month.

The country follows the example of Japan, South Korea, Zambia, and Indonesia which all have a monthly vacation.

Studies show that four out of five women suffer from period pain.

Emma Cox, from endometriosis in the UK, told the BBC: “We must challenge the selectivity and silence about the health of the menstrual cycle.”

A spokesperson for the charity Bloody Good Period also told the broadcaster: “We need to understand the experiences and challenges that menstruating women face in the workplace and then take steps to support them.”

Symptoms associated with PMS can include severe abdominal pain, cramps, lack of concentration, fatigue, diarrhea, headache, and fever.

These can be exacerbated by conditions such as endometriosis, fibroids, or pelvic inflammatory disease.

Symptoms usually last 48 to 72 hours, although they can last longer.

The Bloody Good Period shared the findings of their report “Postpandemic: How the Pandemic Changed Our Experiences in Periods”.

“Nearly six in 10 participants had a negative experience with their periods, with the best words to describe it as uncomfortable, uncomfortable, distressing, emotional and unexpected,” she wrote on Instagram.

73% struggled to get their work done the way they wanted because of the cycle, citing the main reasons: low energy consumption (83%), pain (79%), less focus (61%), worry about losses (57%) and having to stop working to take or buy pain relievers (50%).” .

“Days of days,” Equal Opportunities Minister Irene Montero said in a press conference, presenting details of the health bill following a meeting of the Spanish Council of Ministers. [women] Going to work the pain is over.

Critics of the proposal in Spain suggested that if a woman took work leave due to certain periods, she might be stigmatized by employers and that this measure would be difficult to implement in practice.

There are rumors that there are divisions within the government over whether the proposal will help or hinder women. “The government will not take any measures that would stigmatize women,” Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said.

He added that the reform was still “under discussion”.

About a third of women in Spain have dysmenorrhea, or painful menstruation, according to the Spanish Obstetrics and Gynecology Association.

The legislation is part of a package that will also scrap the 16 and 17-year requirement for parental permission before an abortion and remove value-added tax from period products.

The package will be sent to the Spanish Parliament for discussion.

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