Spain now offers paid time off for painful menstruation, becomes 1st country in Europe to do so

Ever wanted to take time off work due to menstrual cramps and other painful symptoms? Spain has now passed a bill that will entitle workers to paid menstrual leave, becoming the first country in Europe to do so.

POLITICO reported that employees can file for paid time off "in case of incapacitating menstruation."

READ: Spain backs law creating Europe’s first ‘menstrual leave’

The bill is part of a law that also enables access to abortion in public hospitals in Spain. Doctors may also use the medical procedure, abortion, to help pregnant women with life-threatening medical conditions or to help complete an early miscarriage.

NPR reported that Equality Minister Irene Montero, who belongs to the junior member in Spain's left-wing coalition government, the "United We Can" Party, was the driving force behind the two laws.

Abortion rights in Spain

Period products will now be offered free in schools and prisons, while state-run health centers will do the same with hormonal contraceptives and the morning after pill.

In Spain, a traditionally Catholic country, 16- and 17-year-olds can also now undergo an abortion without parental consent.

The bill also expanded abortion rights in state hospitals. According to NPR, currently, more than 80% of the medical procedures in Spain are carried out in private clinics due to a high number of doctors in public hospitals who refuse to perform them. Many of them cite religious reasons.

With the new bill, doctors in public hospitals won't be forced to carry out abortions if they have already put their objections in writing.

The bills passed with 185 votes. There were 154 votes against, with three abstaining.

Expanding LGBTQ+ rights

Spanish lawmakers also approved a separate package of reforms that strengthened transgender rights. The law bans "conversion therapy"  for LGBTQ+ people and provides state support for lesbians and single women seeking IVF treatment.

For transgender people, citizens over 16 years old can now change their legally registered gender without medical supervision. Previously, transgender people needed a diagnosis of gender dysphoria by several doctors.

In Spain, minors between 12-13 years old who wish to transition will just need a judge's authorization, while those between 14 and 16 must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians.

Controversial rape law

It's not all good news as there was also a new sexual consent law, the "Only Yes Means Yes" Law,  which inadvertently allowed hundreds of sex offenders to have prison sentences reduced, even though it was intended to increase protection against rape. The government is expected to come up with an amended version before their elections later this year.

The Guardian reported that the law made it so that passivity and silence can no longer be interpreted as consent.

The new law comes in the wake of at least two controversial gang rape cases, where the perpetrators were charged with the lesser charge sexual abuse instead of rape. In Spain, sexual abuse carries a lesser prison sentence than rape.

This was due to criminals' defense lawyers arguing that the victim gave consent if "immobile" such as in the gang rape of an 18-year-old or under the influence of drugs and alcohol such as in one gang rape case of a 14-year-old girl.

After public outcry in the case of the 18-year-old woman, known as as the "wolf pack" gang rape in 2016, the perpetrators' charges were changed to rape. —Kimberly Tsao/KG, GMA Integrated News