There are issues that Cypriot society prefers to remain silent about, even when they affect the daily lives of thousands of working women. Menstruation in the workplace is one such issue. Despite being a biological reality that directly affects work and everyday life, discussion around it is largely absent from public discourse.
It is not a subject of political debate, nor one that is regularly placed on the agenda. Yet the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs of the Youth House of Representatives attempts to address exactly this 'invisible' issue, proposing, among other measures, the establishment of menstrual leave for working women.
Leave of Up to Two Days
The committee’s proposal concerns the possibility of granting one to two days of leave per month for reasons related to menstruation, upon presentation of a medical certificate.
As noted in the report, the proposal is linked to the recognition that menstruation may, in certain cases, be accompanied by intense symptoms such as pain, nausea, dizziness or general weakness, which substantially affect daily life and the ability to work without disruption.
At the same time, the absence of any relevant provision in the existing employment framework means that such cases are either absorbed as ordinary sick leave or remain invisible, with women left to manage the situation without institutional support.
The reference to a medical certificate is not accidental. In countries where similar measures have already been introduced, such as Spain, leave is linked to medical evaluation so that it applies to cases where symptoms are genuinely restrictive and is framed as a health matter rather than a generalised entitlement.
Spain’s legislation, the first of its kind in Europe, allows for up to three days of menstrual leave per month for women experiencing painful menstruation, recognising the issue not only as a personal experience but also as a workplace concern.
According to the youth MPs, this is one of several interventions that should be examined in the context of strengthening gender equality in the workplace.
Rights on Paper
The discussion does not, however, stop at a single measure. The youth MPs highlight a range of issues that show how gender equality in Cyprus extends beyond legislation and is tested daily in practice.
One example relates to access to rights that, while legally established, are not always straightforward in their implementation. They refer, among other things, to the right to abortion, noting that in practice delays or obstacles may arise when doctors refuse to participate for personal or religious reasons.
In such cases, access depends not only on what the law provides but also on the availability of services, creating situations where a right exists in theory but is not immediately accessible in practice.
As a response, proposals include the creation of a list of doctors willing to provide the relevant services and the speeding up of procedures, to ensure that women’s access to an already established right is effectively guaranteed.
Unpaid Care
Beyond access to rights, the report also focuses on conditions in the workplace, noting that inequality does not always appear in direct or obvious forms.
One issue highlighted is the unequal distribution of unpaid care, with women bearing the greater share of responsibilities such as childcare or caring for elderly relatives. According to the report, this reality affects not only women’s participation in the labour market but also their opportunities for professional advancement, as it is linked to career interruptions, reduced working hours or fewer leadership opportunities.
This is reflected in the fact that despite the high proportion of women with university education, their presence in leadership positions remains limited.
In this context, the report proposes measures to enhance transparency and access to career development opportunities, such as the publication of salary data and the creation of support and mentoring programmes, with the aim of bridging the gap between education and leadership.
Political Representation
Limited female representation is evident not only in the labour market but also in decision making bodies. The report notes that women remain underrepresented in political life, with Cyprus recording particularly low participation of women in the House of Representatives, at just 14.3 percent.
According to the youth MPs, low female participation in politics affects which issues are placed on the agenda, how priorities are set and who ultimately takes part in shaping policies that affect society as a whole.
To address this, the report proposes amendments to electoral legislation requiring political parties to ensure a minimum participation rate of 40 percent for each gender on candidate lists, aiming to gradually strengthen women’s presence in politics.
The proposal is accompanied by suggestions for monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, including the submission of data on gender representation, compliance checks and sanctions in cases of non adherence.
Policy Implementation
Beyond individual measures, the report also examines how equality policies are implemented in practice, stressing that the issue goes beyond legislation and extends to the effectiveness of existing institutions.
It references equality officers already operating within public administration, noting that their role is not utilised to the extent it could be, either due to limited mandates or the lack of systematic evaluation of their work.
In this context, the report proposes strengthening the institution through clearer definition of responsibilities and the introduction of regular evaluation procedures, to ensure that gender considerations are integrated into policy design and implementation.
It also highlights the need for systematic monitoring of public policies to assess their impact and identify areas where inequalities arise, particularly in sectors such as employment, health and social protection.
