Morocco Considers Menstrual Leave Bill, Sparking Public Debate

The proposal for menstrual leave will soon be discussed in Morocco. If this bill is adopted, Morocco will become the second country in Africa after Zambia to grant women paid leave days for menstrual reasons. But does the proposal have a chance of succeeding?

But in public opinion, the subject is already provoking strong opinions, reports the BBC. This is the case of Aicha Salmi, a member of a women’s association. She believes that for the improvement of women’s conditions, there are much more serious issues. "The proposal is not an urgent law. We have women who suffer and give birth in difficult conditions due to the lack of hospitals in remote areas of the country. I think the parliamentary groups should focus on these difficult conditions of rural women, especially on health issues," she said in an interview with the BBC.

For his part, Mustapha Dahmani affirms that the bill must be discussed and approved by the Moroccan government. And if the government approved it, it would be implemented in stages before assessing its effectiveness and relevance.

In addition to Zambia, paid menstrual leave has been adopted by South Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia. Morocco may be on the verge of joining this small list.