Spain has become the first country in Europe to grant paid menstrual leave to its workers. The move was part of new legislation approved by Madrid on Thursday, which expanded abortion and transgender rights for teenagers. The reforms, which were driven by the country’s equality minister, Irene Montero, permit 16- and 17-year-olds to undergo an abortion without parental consent. The changes also guarantee free period products in schools and prisons, and state-run health centers will provide the morning-after pill and hormonal contraceptives at no cost. The menstrual leave measure will enable those experiencing severe period pain to take paid time off work.
The abortion legislation builds on laws passed in 2010, which already made Spain one of the most progressive countries in Europe on reproductive rights. More than 80% of termination procedures in the country are carried out in private clinics, with many doctors in the public system refusing to perform them due to religious objections. Under the new law, doctors working in state hospitals will not be required to carry out abortions, provided they have registered their opposition in writing.
A separate package of reforms that was also approved by lawmakers on Thursday strengthened transgender rights. Any citizen over the age of 16 can now legally change their registered gender without medical supervision. Children aged between 12 and 13 will require a judge’s authorization to change, while those aged between 14 and 16 must be accompanied by their parents or legal guardians. Previously, transgender people required a diagnosis of gender dysphoria by several doctors. The second law also prohibits so-called “conversion therapy” for LGBTQ+ people and provides state support for lesbians and single women seeking IVF treatment.
The centre-left coalition government has been criticized for Montero’s “Only Yes Means Yes” Law, a new sexual consent law that intended to increase protection against rape but inadvertently allowed hundreds of sex offenders to have prison sentences reduced. The government is attempting to produce an amended version before elections later this year. The three reforms have received strong opposition from Spain’s main right-wing parties.