Page 10 | Tell me this is not real please. Scotland's first period dignity officer is a man. A MAN.

Rainbowshit · 2022-08-15T20:37:18+00:00

I just can't put into words how furious this makes me. Females are having the pis absolutely ripped out of them in Scotland. What the fuck would a male understand about the indignity of realising you'd leaked through onto your clothes. About the cold fear when your period is late. About trying to unwrap a tampon quietly. Etc etc. I suppose the only saving grace is at least they are not claiming to be a woman. https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/3593497/dundee-man-leading-period-poverty-fight-how-to-get-free-products/

Whatwouldscullydo · 16/08/2022 07:53

SpidersAreShitheads · 16/08/2022 04:58

I just went for a bit of a look on Twitter to see what else has been said.

First thing I saw was the news article in the Courier. Remember the bit in the job description that says the candidate should have a proven track history of engaging and empowering "in particular young people who menstruate."

This is his experience: "Jason comes to the role with varied background and experience. As well as a former role as an account manager with Imperial Tobacco, Jason then trained as a personal trainer setting up his own fitness business. Most recently, he’s worked as a student wellbeing officer with Dundee and Angus College."

I fail to see how any of that relates directly to menstruating women, young girls just starting out with their periods. A personal trainer, working in accounts at a tobacco firm, and a stint in student welfare at a college. Literally nothing there at all that's specific to female health, and certainly not menstruation. Absolutely nothing to qualify him for this role as an expert in menstruation.

And turning to the question of whether it's purely an administrative role - it's very clearly not. Photo here of Jason and another beardy man delivering information about periods to a mother and her daughter. This is not a distant project manager role. This is hands on delivery of information to service users. From a man who used to work in accounts at a tobacco firm.

The more I read, the angrier I feel.

That picture makes me really uneasy

I'm.sure he's probably half decent guy but we all have read to much about too many people..

I'm so tired of women amd girls always being some kind of experiment, and somehow always being used to their own detriment, to solve the problems.of men and boys being ignorent about periods etc that gorl in the picture is jusy being used so those 2 blokes can feel good about themselves.

KittenKong · 16/08/2022 08:16

Hmmmm. 50 years ago a man would probably get this job automatically (with female staff to do the talks about ‘messy girl stuff’). 30 years ago - a woman would get this job (women for women). Today - man absolutely no question (assuming a trans woman wants available for the gig).

So. Women are still being told by men what’s ‘appropriate’.

he should not have gone for, nor been given the job. He should not be explaining to girls how period products work. I never once had a convo about periods with my own father or brother. Who is this guy?

RedToothBrush · 16/08/2022 08:28

Festoonlights · 16/08/2022 04:18

So what if he has the job - he isn’t competent and has no hope of ever being capable of this role. Stepping aside would at least show some integrity and empathy for women.

Its his attitude that will alienate.

Having the brass balls to say he is the best candidate is just one example.

He is clearly lacking in any kind of self awareness and is looking for a scrap. Thata not going to break down barriers any time soon.

Women have a completely different mentality. Its a sensitive subject. Not one which requires a bull in a china shop brash 'im the big i am' leading it.

Its absolutely tone deaf.

Original poster

Rainbowshit · 16/08/2022 08:36

Whohastheenergyfotthis · 16/08/2022 00:54

@Rainbowshit It’s a fantastic move from Scotland, best to focus on that part of the news.

if the man is qualified to do the job then it’s got to be fine for him to get the job. You never know at 33k it might be that he was the only qualified applicant, male or female. If they didn’t hire him on the basis that he’s a man they would have serious explaining to do, that would be grounds for legal action.

The free sanitary products absolutely is something to celebrate.

But it should be a celebration that centres women and girls.

Instead we have a man talking over and for women and girls. Telling us it's not just a women's issue and the words women and girls are not mentioned once.

It's a total kick in the teeth and emblematic of the bigger problem of female rights being overriden in favour of males.

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RedToothBrush · 16/08/2022 08:38

Jason. The man who centres himself in promoting sanitary products and increasing awareness of the menopause. Once upon a time men like Jason who have been one of the blokes who sat around in their brainstorming session talking about how they were going to flog tampax. "I've got it. Skinny pretty girls. In skimpy clothes. The hotter the better."

Now they make a point of replacing the woman with pictures of themselves being on so good about talking about it and avoiding the words woman and girls. Just so they prove how modern they are. They can talk about the product but not who use it.

That massive whiff of male ego going on here is quite something.

KittenKong · 16/08/2022 08:44

By inserting a male into something that is purely and specifically female based then they are showing good old Scottish misogyny. Not modern at all.

I hope any woman he tries to educate gives him blow by blow details of their menstrual/ menopausal horrors. He has no idea.

Original poster

Rainbowshit · 16/08/2022 08:47

Scotland leading the countries plumbing the depths on female dignity.

Free period products should be something to celebrate, instead they make us a laughing stock.

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Discovereads · 16/08/2022 08:49

SpidersAreShitheads · 16/08/2022 02:31

But surely there are roles where lived experience takes precedence, and others where technical knowledge is more important? I don't think anyone would suggest that a male oncologist with his many years of training would be unsuitable to treat a female breast cancer patient. His technical knowledge and training is the priority here, and the most important. But as @Blister very astutely points out, a doctor who has also sat in the patient's chair tends to have much greater insight into what the patient needs and how they're feeling. And that results in much better care. Is it imperative? No. But it does make a big difference.

Clearly insisting on only having a doctor who has had cancer themselves would be ridiculous, and unsustainable but lived experience can really improve the quality of care, and provides insight.

In this role, the job description says the applicant should have "a successful track record of engaging and empowering a large range of people from a diverse range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, in particular young people who menstruate."

This part of the job description and other sections which refer to "engaging with young people and communities" makes this role appear very different to a simple project management role. It's almost a hybrid position.

Young girls, perhaps today more than ever before, experience a lot of difficulty talking about their periods and bodily changes. Talking about their periods with a man makes it infinitely harder and will absolutely prevent some from engaging. We'll ignore the fact there's a whole older demographic in these "communities" who would also be very uncomfortable with discussing periods with a man.

I understand the points you were trying to make earlier about equality. And I agree it's important to consider whether a position really does need to be fulfilled by a woman, or if we're trying to tilt equality too far in the opposite direction.

This isn't about a bloke sitting at a desk directing internal resources and organising funding. The job is about engaging young people and interacting with communities. I don't see how anyone can genuinely believe that a man can do this as effectively as a woman. This is one of those cases where lived experience really does matter.

That's why I went and looked at the job description because while it would have been a bit irritating, if it had been purely a pen-pushing role and not public-facing then the sex of the post-holder would have been far less important. But it's not. We're talking about putting a biological man in a position to engage young females on the subject of periods. It's just not relatable and will undoubtedly affect accessibility of the service for many.

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It is a pen pushing job. I genuinely don’t see how you have misunderstood a PM told to be a PR role. I think it might be because you have little understanding as to a PM role.

I’m not saying lived experience doesn’t matter, just that it doesn’t matter nearly as much as technical skills and qualifications for this job. I’ve been a PM it’s a skilled professional job. And honestly the thinking that only a woman can do this job is sexist. It’s not going to affect accessibility because a man is doing a back office role.

KittenKong · 16/08/2022 08:52

So why are the promo shots yesterday have him sitting with a mum and daughter (and some man) sitting with a selection of sanpro on the table. He looks like he is holding court.

i thought it was a Moley special for gods sake.

Original poster

Rainbowshit · 16/08/2022 08:53

This. ^^

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Discovereads · 16/08/2022 08:54

SpidersAreShitheads · 16/08/2022 03:02

Did you have a look at the job description posted earlier in the thread? I'd be inclined to agree with you if it was a pure project management position. However, in this case it seems to be a hybrid role as the job directly involves "engaging with young persons and communities" and says the applicant should have "a successful track record of engaging and empowering a large range of people from a diverse range of cultural and socio-economic backgrounds, in particular young people who menstruate.".

I don't think this is just a project management or faceless civil servant position. From the description it's engaging directly with service users. And like it or not, women and especially young girls - ie the target demographic - will respond far more openly to a fellow female, not a man. It's the engagement part of the role that's the issue here.

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It’s not a hybrid role.
Engaging doesn’t mean directly talking to women and girls in project management. It means support the project team to write and put out surveys and assist the local authorities to conduct focus groups and workshops. He’s not going to be some kind of travelling salesman for period products and information.

Waiting4baby2 · 16/08/2022 08:59

If it’s just some ‘back office’ role why is his face in the paper?! You can’t deny that this story is about him and not the women the free products are intended to help. He’s the chosen spokesperson yet he doesn’t talk about how important this is for women and girls, gives no insight into the scale of period poverty in Scotland or the positive impact this will have. He doesn’t even use the word women and claims this is for ‘all genders’.

Discovereads · 16/08/2022 09:02

KittenKong · 16/08/2022 08:52

So why are the promo shots yesterday have him sitting with a mum and daughter (and some man) sitting with a selection of sanpro on the table. He looks like he is holding court.

i thought it was a Moley special for gods sake.

Because it’s PR. When we did PR material on what our PMs worked on, we sent them out to the customers and had photos taken with them as that’s who their work supports even though they are actually quite removed from the on the ground implementation. They might do a site visit but they are usually being given a walking tour by the local personnel who execute the project.

KittenKong · 16/08/2022 09:04

Yes I do understand PR. I would not have him posed like that. No. Whoever made the call did not consider how it looked.

WillNotWheesht · 16/08/2022 09:05

containsnuts · 16/08/2022 06:21

He will no doubt ensure period product availablily is inclusive regardless of biological sex, and will instruct schools on how tampons should be available in the boys toilets too. As we all know, 'people who menstruate' are incapable of functioning without government intervention and thank goodness someone has finally come along to save the day after thousands of years of menstral chaos!

@containsnuts quite.

Discovereads · 16/08/2022 09:08

Waiting4baby2 · 16/08/2022 08:59

If it’s just some ‘back office’ role why is his face in the paper?! You can’t deny that this story is about him and not the women the free products are intended to help. He’s the chosen spokesperson yet he doesn’t talk about how important this is for women and girls, gives no insight into the scale of period poverty in Scotland or the positive impact this will have. He doesn’t even use the word women and claims this is for ‘all genders’.

You know he didn’t write the article right? And has no real say as to what message it gives? And where he is quoted he did mention women and girls. He’s not a chosen “spokesperson” it’s a press release saying look who we hired for this job. Many organisations will pick a back office person and do a release about them so the public knows there is more to a program than the customer facing personnel. A sort of answer to what the fuck do all the people in the regional centralised government buildings do all day. So if the article is tone deaf, blame the author and the Public Affairs dept because this will have gone through them for approval before release.

Discovereads · 16/08/2022 09:09

KittenKong · 16/08/2022 09:04

Yes I do understand PR. I would not have him posed like that. No. Whoever made the call did not consider how it looked.

Agreed and it’s part of why there’s so much confusion as to what a PM role entails.

SpidersAreShitheads · 16/08/2022 09:09

Discovereads · 16/08/2022 08:54

It’s not a hybrid role.
Engaging doesn’t mean directly talking to women and girls in project management. It means support the project team to write and put out surveys and assist the local authorities to conduct focus groups and workshops. He’s not going to be some kind of travelling salesman for period products and information.

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You have absolutely no grounds to say this with certainty.

"Engaging" can mean many things. It's a deliberately vague term.

His words were: "I want to be seen as a positive role model". Can't see him being much of a role model sitting behind the scenes. While I doubt he'll be doing the grass roots delivery, I think he'll be visible and will have a presence and I suspect that will include an element of field visits.

RJnomore1 · 16/08/2022 09:10

WillNotWheesht · 16/08/2022 09:05

@containsnuts quite.

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Again, the college and councils are required to do this by the legislation. You are looking at the wrong enemy.

I’ve realised overnight what a great distraction this has been from the actual issues about the legislation.

SpidersAreShitheads · 16/08/2022 09:11

Waiting4baby2 · 16/08/2022 08:59

If it’s just some ‘back office’ role why is his face in the paper?! You can’t deny that this story is about him and not the women the free products are intended to help. He’s the chosen spokesperson yet he doesn’t talk about how important this is for women and girls, gives no insight into the scale of period poverty in Scotland or the positive impact this will have. He doesn’t even use the word women and claims this is for ‘all genders’.

Absolutely. 100% this.

He actually talks more about boys and men and "all genders" than he does girls and women.....there's no centring of females in the very thing that is exclusively about/for us.

RJnomore1 · 16/08/2022 09:16

I’m just going to point out that the new legislation went live yesterday, every single local authority plus the SG had a press release but this is the one that’s being talked about - perhaps it’s rather effectively done it’s job of raising awareness.

PrimAndProperPearlClutcher · 16/08/2022 09:17

SpidersAreShitheads · 16/08/2022 09:11

Absolutely. 100% this.

He actually talks more about boys and men and "all genders" than he does girls and women.....there's no centring of females in the very thing that is exclusively about/for us.

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He doesn't use the word 'women' or 'girls' at all, does he? It's all 'all genders'.

Original poster

Rainbowshit · 16/08/2022 09:20

RJnomore1 · 16/08/2022 09:16

I’m just going to point out that the new legislation went live yesterday, every single local authority plus the SG had a press release but this is the one that’s being talked about - perhaps it’s rather effectively done it’s job of raising awareness.

No such thing as bad publicity, eh?

Just Scotland being made a laughing stock yet again.

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ErrolTheDragon · 16/08/2022 09:22

The article linked by the OP is now subscription only, usually an indication it's been getting a lot of hits. Well, a win for a regional newspaper at least.

There probably are blokes who could do this job adequately - maybe as a PP indicated there are already some doing much the same thing. But they don't have their faces and male-centric words all over a newspaper.

PrimAndProperPearlClutcher · 16/08/2022 09:25

The courier article has always been subscription only.

New one today from Martina Navratilova.

www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/dundee/3596704/martina-navratilova-tayside-period-dignity-officer/