Wider abortion rights, menstrual leave eyed

The Spanish government approved a draft bill Tuesday that widens abortion rights for teenagers and may make Spain the first country in Europe entitling workers to paid menstrual leave.

The measures are part of a package of proposals that will be sent to the Spanish parliament for debate. The package includes an extension of abortion rights, scrapping the requirement for 16- and 17-yearolds to obtain parental consent before terminating a pregnancy.

The Spanish move comes just as the U.S. Supreme Court appears poised to reverse the country’s constitutional right to abortion, in place for nearly a half-century.

Spanish government spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez said the proposals represented “a new step forward for women, a new step forward for democracy.”

The Spanish government also proposes giving workers who are experiencing period pain as much time off as they need, with the state social security system — not employers — paying for sick leave. As with any other temporary medical incapacity, a doctor must sign off on the health problem.