This is what smart critics on the right, including me, mean when we say that most modern 1st world systems are set up to systematically advantage women and minorities - under the guise of "equality." Actual equality simply means letting everyone start at the same line, without facing any third-party-created impediments like segregation, and then run for the mark. Various genetic, cultural, and purely individual attributes - along with plain luck - then determine who wins. Having a normal-strength period seems to be a real but minor barrier to success, like my "football knees" are. Further, it is a barrier that ACTUALLY EXISTS: if women are normally more functional than the boys, but are notably less functional five days out of 30, it would often be fair for a Sergeant or hospital admin to take that into account. In contrast, paying the ladies full salary NOT to work - for one business week in every four, while men or older women scurry to cover their tasks - is a massive unearned advantage. The equivalent would be allowing men 20% more time to complete every task, to "adjust for the impact of testosterone on thinking," or giving us a week's PTO every time a war wound or ball injury flared up. Society is full of such advantages - while at UI Law, I learned that I would have gotten into about half the Ivy League schools if I had added "Native" as well as "Black" to my application - and people are beginning to notice.

As a btw: I will obviously check on the claim in the community note, but but I'll also say the obvious: A very specific health based exception is clearly not what the hundreds of women's advocates RT-ing this...like the OP person I shared^...were advocating for. If that's all Spain voted for, we're all good, re this one out of 10,000 programs (see below), for now.