madrid spains parliament on thursday passed a sexual and reproductive health law that allows girls aged 16 and 17 to undergo abortions without parental consent and in a first for a european country offers statefunded paid leave for women who suffer from painful periods these advancements allow us to exercise freedom over our bodies with the state recognising the full citizenship of more than half the population equality minister irene montero told lawmakers before the vote which was adopted with a 190154 majority and five abstentionsthe countrys leftist coalition government had introduced the bill opposed by antiabortion activists and the catholic church in may with the aim of guaranteeing abortion access and destigmatising menstrual health the new law removes a mandatory threeday reflection period for women who wish to terminate their pregnancy and eliminates the need for those aged 1617 to obtain the consent of a parent or guardian to abort this requirement had been put in place by the conservative peoples party government in 2015 it also includes paid leave for pregnant women from week 39 ensures the distribution of free menstrual products in public institutions and designates surrogate pregnancies as a form of violence against women the law is now headed to upper house for final approval