As part of a reform plan, which is expected to be approved by the Spanish government next week, women in Spain who suffer from severe period pain will be allowed to take up to three days leave from work each month.

This new reform will make Spain the first Western country to offer female citizens the right to menstrual leave. The women will be guaranteed time off during their periods.At this time, this right has only been given to women in some Asian countries such as Japan, Indonesia and South Korea. Women in Zambia can also be granted menstrual leave.According to the Spanish Gynaecology and Obstetrics Society, around one-third of women who menstruate experience severe pain known as dysmenorrhea.

The figure is also believed to be larger when considering pre-menstrual pain too.Symptoms of dysmenorrhea include acute abdominal pain, headaches, diarrhoea and fever.The secretary of state for equality, Angela Rodriguez, told El Periodico newspaper that: "If someone has an illness with such symptoms a temporary disability is granted, so the same should happen with menstruation – allowing a woman with a very painful period to stay at home.

"The reform also aims to improve other areas of menstrual health by making it a requirement for schools to provide free sanitary products for girls who need them.In addition to this, sanitary pads and tampons will be provided to women in marginalised social circumstances.

Furthermore, the VAT for these products will be removed from the price at supermarkets.The reform package plans to make abortion more widely available to women by removing the requirement of parental permission for girls aged 16 and 17 while also guaranteeing access to pregnancy terminations in public hospitals. At this time, there are entire areas in Spain which have 'no-abortion' zones due to policies where doctors refuse to practice abortions on ethical grounds.