A “Period Dignity Officer” is a great idea. But why did the job go to a man?
A Scottish town abolished the position after uproar over a man being named.
The role was the first of its kind in Scotland, and in the world. The Tay region created the position of “period dignity officer” to fight against period poverty. They would implement Scotland’s legal right to free period products, introduced in August, which made it compulsory for public buildings such as councils, schools and colleges to provide menstrual protection free of charge. This ground-breaking law made Scotland the first country to legally require universal access to period products.
In a context where one in ten girls throughout the UK cannot afford menstrual products, and nearly 140 000 missing school due to period poverty, creating an official position dedicated to tackling this issue was a brilliant idea. It brings the problem to the forefront. It gives it visibility and makes tackling it a priority, both on a symbolic and a practical level.
However, the region took the controversial decision of naming a man to the role. This sparked outrage, with many women expressing concern that he would be “mansplaining” menstruation.
Tennis player Martina Navratilova described the decision to appoint a man as…
