The move, expected to be including in a forthcoming bill extending abortion rights to 16 and 17-year-olds, will make Spain the first country in the European Union to introduce menstrual leave.

First introduced in the Soviet Union in the early 1920s, a statutory right to menstrual leave already exists in Japan and Indonesia – but the idea is increasingly catching on in western countries as a way to support women in the workplace.

The proposed law will also create a statutory right to time off after a miscarriage, and will extend free access to menstrual products while abolishing VAT for feminine hygiene items, according to Spanish radio station Cadena SER.

The bill, to be considered by Spanish ministers next Tuesday, will reportedly also criminalise surrogacy.