On World Menstrual Hygiene Day, here's a tour of countries in the world that have given women time off work to recover
Raquel del Rio, 36, who works in police forces, poses as she observes a period calendar tracker app on her mobile phone at her home in Madrid, Spain, May 16, 2022. Spain has become the first Western country to move to give menstrual leave, with a draft bill unveiled by the government on May 17 giving women unlimited leave for period pain, provided they have a doctor's note. (Credits: Isabel Infantes/ Reuters)
Many women have painful periods, but only a handful of countries, largely in Asia and most recently Spain, have moved to give them time off work to recover.
Here is a tour of some of them ahead of World Menstrual Hygiene Day on May 28.
Spain has become the first Western country to move to give menstrual leave, with a draft bill unveiled by the government on May 17 giving women unlimited leave for period pain, provided they have a doctor's note.
The draft legislation has to be approved by parliament, where the government is in a minority, before coming into force.