Women should have access to paid leave when they are menstruating, according to a Citizens Movement (MC) party senator.

Senator Verónica Delgadillo presented a bill that would give women and trans men the legal right to take time off when they have their period.

Presenting her proposal in the Senate on Wednesday, Delgadillo said that women menstruate for an average of 3,000 days over the course of their lives, during which they experience symptoms such as cramps, headaches, nausea and dizziness.

The senator for Jalisco also said that many employers don’t consider the impact of menstruation on their female employees.

“That’s why I come to this rostrum today to make a very simple proposal – that a new labor right be recognized for women,” Delgadillo said.

She said women should be able to go on “menstrual leave when their period doesn’t allow them to go to work,” without their salary and benefits being affected.

They should be able to take time off “with the peace of mind that their rights remain protected,” the MC lawmaker said.

Menstrual leave should not be considered a luxury or privilege, Delgadillo asserted before saying she had no doubt that some people would characterize it as such.

“I would like to see them with these levels of pain so that they can tell us whether it’s a privilege or not. Rest assured, it’s not a privilege. There are women who need that leave from work, and we’re in a position to give it to them,” she said.

Among the senators who expressed support for Delgadillo’s proposal were Olga Sánchez and Malú Mícher of the ruling Morena party.

With reports from Milenio