From Indonesia to South Korea and Japan, the places which offer women menstrual leave
- In the Asia-Pacific, some women have the legal right to take time off work to recover from painful periods, although take-up rates remain low
- But some firms have not waited to be compelled by law, with India’s Zomato start-up offering 10 days of period leave and Australia’s Victorian Women’s Trust giving staff 12 days of menstrual and menopause leave
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.
The proposal comes amid a campaign by feminists worldwide to demolish taboos around periods, but it has drawn criticism from Spanish unions, who warn that, far from liberating women, menstrual leave could prompt employers to prioritise men when hiring.