“It hurts really bad”: MPs test period pain before debating menstrual leave

In February 2024, the Senate rejected a socialist law on menstrual leave. Green deputies Sébastien Peytavie and Marie-Charlotte Garin have therefore taken the initiative to make a new bill, which they will present to the National Assembly on March 27, 2024 in Committee. Their goal ? Establish a menstrual break of up to thirteen days per year, without deficiency.

To convince their colleagues from other parties, the environmentalist deputies offered them to participate in a small experiment: a simulation of the pain of periods. Those who agreed to participate then used the simulator one after the other, in order to experience these famous inconveniences, which nearly half of the world’s population endures every month for an average of 38 years – or 2,280 days in a lifetime.

A surprising and unanimous experience for male deputies

Friday March 22, twelve male deputies equipped themselves with a period simulator. In a series of videos published on X, we can see MPs from different parties:

At France Insoumise, it is Carlos Martens Bilongo, Léo Walter, Hadrien Clouet, and Louis Boyard who are trying to take up the challenge. On the Ecologist side, Jean-Claud Raux takes part in the experiment, while at Libertés Indépendants, Outre-mer et Territoires, it is Laurent Panifous who accepts the test. On the side of the democratic movement, Erwan Balanant tries the simulator; the same for Stéphane Vojetta, Thomas Rudigoz, and Clément Beaune of the Renaissance party. Finally, for the Republicans, it is Pierre Cordier and Maxime Minot who accept. However, no member of the National Rally is playing the game.

Their reactions? “Stop, stop, stop”, “It actually hurts really bad”, “Oh my god”, “Oh f**k”.. can be heard, mixed with some nervous laughter, when the men in question are confronted with period pain for the first time in their lives. Indeed, the observation is unanimous: they are surprised to feel such strong pain, which they consider to be “particular” and very disabling. Thomas Rudigoz also confirms that the pain is almost comparable to that of a heart attack.

Conditions considered very unpleasant for working

Second stage of the experiment: participants are asked to concentrate, in order to evaluate how difficult it can be to work, while enduring painful periods. So they take turns reading a text on endometriosis. The observation: they all have difficulty reading fluently without interrupting to express the pain they feel.

At the end of the experiment, Marie-Charlotte asks them for their opinion. Erwan Balanant admits that he is “obviously extremely difficult to concentrate at times.” Maxime Minot, for his part, considers this experience beneficial: “It’s a good experience that allows us to better put ourselves in women’s shoes.”. Louis Boyard seems to agree since before this experience, he “didn’t think it was that bad.” He adds that he is “impossible to imagine the pain”.

Regarding concentrating with such inconveniences, Stéphane Vojetta admits: “working with that, it’s difficult at the moment”. The former Minister of Transport, Clément Beaune, describes this experience as “very unpleasant” and “painful”. He also declares that he does not imagine having to defend a text in a forum while having to manage suffering similar to that of the simulation.

If the deputies who underwent the test seem unanimous on the issue of menstrual pain, will they be able to convince their entire respective party to vote in favor of this menstrual leave project?