A year ago a breakthrough described by many as “historic” took place in Spain, the first country in Europe to introduce the possibility of women taking ‘menstrual leave’. However, despite the pioneering spirit, few women have tried to benefit from the move in the past 12 months.
As of May, according to statistics from the Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, only 1,559 requests for menstrual leave had been registered.
“As can be seen from the data, there is no avalanche of this type of temporary disability and its use has been confirmed since its implementation once a month”, the Spanish government points out in a statement.
The average number of days experienced till April 24 was 3.03 days. An average of 4.75 people per day benefited from this initiative.
To The Guardian, several associations and organizations have pointed out that the measure has flaws, which limit women’s access to these benefits.
“I don’t think it’s working, I think it’s expected,” said Irene Aderito of RedCaps, a network of Spanish health professionals focused on environmental and gender research.
One criticism that has been pointed out is that when the law was approved, it limited the license to those with previously diagnosed diseases such as endometriosis.
“Menstrual leave is a misnomer because it is actually a leave due to diagnosed severe secondary dysmenorrhea. If it is not diagnosed, the family doctor cannot authorize menstrual leave”, criticizes Aterido.
Other aspects that bring controversy is that the process is not automatic, always consult a doctor and ask for it. “In other words, even if you are in a lot of pain, you should drag yourself to the health center”, emphasizes the expert.
EL País received other reports, such as a 31-year-old woman who, when she asked about menstrual leave, was told that it was not available at work or that health center staff did not know how to submit this type of request.
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