“What would happen if all of a sudden, by magic, people could… Menses and not women?” asked Gloria Steinem in 1978 on MS Journal. Surely the state will provide free sanitary napkins, and the period will be used to demonstrate the superiority of the male body, said the writer and feminist activist. But for today, according to Italian left-wing MP Elisabetta Piccolotti, there will be another big difference. “If men had their periods there menstrual leave law it would already be,” he said. We don’t know if that will be the case, but we do know that in 2023, menstrual leave should be a right. new a bill on the subject, presented by the Alliance of the Greens and the Left, is good news.

A few days ago, Spain made history as the first European country to introduce a menstrual leave law, it would be nice if Italy emulated it at least in this area. In recent years, there has been much talk about the problems associated with painful menstruation and the difficulties of normal functioning for those who suffer from it. The problem has been resolved in several companies that have introduced special days off, but nothing has been done at the national level yet. New proposal presented by the MPs Alleanza Verdi Sinistra, Piccolotti, Eleonora Evi, Francesca Ghirra and Luana Zanella aims to introduce a two-day leave from work or absence from school for those who suffer from dysmenorrhea and therefore experience very severe pain during menstruation.

The proposal consists of three articles. It provides for absences of up to two days per month (with justification) for students suffering from dysmenorrhea, as well as in derogation from the obligation to attend at least three-quarters of the annual schedule established by national law, upon presentation of a medical certificate. On the other hand, for female workers (employed or assistants, full or part-time, open-ended, fixed-term and project contracts) it will be possible to use a maximum of two days per month with a refund equal to 100% of wages always against a medical certificate. Finally, article 3 of the bill addresses the issue of free distribution of hormonal contraceptives and requests that they be included in the main levels of care and that the Minister of Health adopt specific guidelines for free distribution in pharmacies by prescription. honey prescription. “Our menstrual leave and free hormonal contraceptives bill is a challenge to Parliament, Prime Minister of Georgia Meloni, MPs and Majority MPs and opposition forces,” Piccolotti said. did not see any measures in favor of women, but only the abolition of the “Women’s Option”. Starting from here would be a concrete signal.”