International Women’s Day

Painful period law

SPAIN has become one of the most forward-thinking countries in Europe after granting women who suffer from especially painful periods (dysmenorrhoea) up to three days paid leave per month.

The legislation on ‘menstrual leave’ - which can be extended to five in severe cases - is the first of its kind in Europe and takes into account the financial pressure that period poverty imposes on women.

While debate about period poverty typically relates to hygiene products, women who struggle with dysmenorrhoea are also disadvantaged by being unable to take sick leave and instead resort to unpaid leave or using up holiday.

Welcome

Ana Botin, CEO, Banco Santander

THE fourth generation of the Botin family in the CEO role, Ana Botin (Santander, 1960) came well-prepared, first studying economics and working at JP Morgan in New York. After taking over from her father, she helped the bank evolve into one of the world’s leading financial institutions. She served as the first female president of the European Banking Federation, and outside her nine-to-five job, she’s involved with her foundation (Fundacion CyD) which encourages university graduates to apply their know-how to social and economic development in Spain.

Belen Frau Global communications manager, IKEA

STARTING on the shop floor of a local branch of IKEA in the Basque country in 2004, armed only with an allen key, she worked her way up. And how! Frau (Bilbao, 1974) became the first female CEO of Ikea in Spain in 2011, and four years later got responsibility for the company in seven countries: Belgium, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the UK, Switzerland – and even Sweden! Now she has global control of ‘the message’ –and has even found time to have three children.