The Spanish government on Wednesday approved a draft bill that removes the requirement for 16 and 17-year-old girls to have parental consent before terminating a pregnancy, BBC reported.
According to the bill, girls over 16 years of age will now be allowed to opt for abortions, and introduce up to five days of menstrual leave a month.
The new bill is aimed at reforming a previous abortion law approved by the conservative People's Party in 2015.
A government spokesperson said that the bill represents "a new step forward for democracy."
Voluntary abortion in Spain is allowed up until the 14th week of pregnancy.
If the bill is approved, Spain will become the first country in Europe to offer its workers paid menstrual leave.
Abortions for 16 and 17-year-olds and sick leave for severe menstrual pain are all components of the new bill.
“It is this government’s duty and its intention to safeguard the right to abortion in the public health system and do away with the obstacles that prevent women from deciding when it comes to their bodies and their lives,” Spain’s equality minister, Irene Montero, had said in February.
(with sources inputs)