Italy may pass a law that grants women monthly period leave

Italy is proposing an official 'menstrual leave' policy that would grant three days of paid leave every month to employees suffering from painful periods.

There is already a similar policy, external in parts of China, Japan, Indonesia and South Korea, but Italy would be the first Western country to do this.

Some are celebrating the prospect of the law, but others argue that it could work against women. Currently only 60% of Italian women work (compared to the European average of 72%).

While periods are often seen as a minor inconvenience, in reality some women can be completely immobilised by the pain.

A YouGov study found that more than half of women have experienced period pain which affected their ability to do their job, and only a quarter said they had been honest with their boss about the reason.