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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Edinburgh considering period products for all people

90 replies

nythbran2 · 27/02/2022 19:29

Edinburgh City Council is running a consulation on a proposal to offer people free period products. There are notices round town emphasising this is for all genders and all ages. I wonder if they would do better to suggest the products be targeted to women and girls?

OP posts:

owlinnahat · 05/03/2022 14:31

@Bluebell246 - I mean, I don't present as super femme and identify as a woman so yes. I very much agree with you. But some people clearly don't identify as a woman, some won't present as female but still menstruate. My point was that period products are for them too.

Bluebell246 · 05/03/2022 15:45

Yes I'm with you as far as who should have access to period products. Everyone who needs them. I think we agree on that. It's the stereotypes I struggle with.

334bu · 05/03/2022 15:51

some won't present as female but still menstruate

How do you present as female? You either are or you aren't. Trans activists keep saying that gender and sex are different, so what is the problem here?

Discwriter · 05/03/2022 15:54

I saw the notices last week and it reads ridiculous. Feels like the council have lost their way - that saying about if you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything comes to mind.

Original poster

nythbran2 · 07/03/2022 23:36

Anyone having a period is going to be pretty aware of being female regardless of how they like to present themselves to the world. Why would the council decide to tie themselves in knots trying to pander to someone's preferred presentation rather than deal with reality

OP posts:

TheLoneNameChanger · 07/03/2022 23:45

@nythbran2 - yeah, why does anyone bother to communicate with anyone in a way that might make a specific section of their target audience feel more positive and receptive to a message instead of feeling negative and defensive?

It's a real mystery!

Waitwhat23 · 08/03/2022 00:13

yeah, why does anyone bother to communicate with anyone in a way that might make a specific section of their target audience feel more positive and receptive to a message instead of feeling negative and defensive?

If that were true, these changes to language would also be happening to language which relates to men's health, services and products.

It's not. Even Prostate Cancer UK have (sensibly) stood by their decision to use the word men on their campaign materials.

It's not happening to men. Only to women.

It's such a mystery as to why...

Cookingutensil · 08/03/2022 02:00

Since time began, women have made provision for their own period products. As a tween all my pocket money went on sanitary towels (I needed a lot) I was apparently useless with money as I didn't save the way my brother did.

Now some men have decided they get 'periods' sanitary products are free. I can pay for my own now thanks, but my twelve year old heart breaks all over again with shit like this.

Polyanthus2 · 08/03/2022 06:03

I wonder which sanpro company will get the * humungous order to supply?

Original poster

nythbran2 · 08/03/2022 07:58

The way the council is currently communicating this makes me feel negetive and defensive. Maybe I am not an important section of their target audience?

OP posts:

KittenKong · 08/03/2022 08:09

Woman? Of course not.

TheLoneNameChanger · 08/03/2022 09:01

The way the council is currently communicating this makes me feel negetive and defensive. Maybe I am not an important section of their target audience?

I would be curious actually how they did break down their demographic. I suppose it is quite plausible that they have looked at focus groups and discovered that the number of women who are offended by a lack of highly gendered and specific language is fairly small and the number of people who will not engage with the service unless it's very heavily marketed that way are even smaller, or perhaps the gender critical market skew older/wealthier/less in need but their target audience may be younger and more likely to react well to gender neutral period products.

I have to admit, when I was a young teen I hates getting my period. It triggered intense anxiety in me and a lot of the language around period products used by people in my life ("this is you becoming a woman" etc) made it worse and I refused to use anything for a while and resolutely stuffed tissue paper or old socks in my pants and was just utterly weird about it. I think a less heavily gendered approach would have been very positive for me.

Waitwhat23 · 08/03/2022 09:28

They haven't looked at focus groups. Local Councils across Scotland are carrying out this survey on the behest of the Scottish Government who are being lobbied by Stonewall to change wording and policies (as an example, SG changed their maternity policy to remove the word woman after lobbying from Stonewall).

This isn't for the benefit of women.

And again, where's the push for men's language to be changed to be more inclusive if that is indeed the intention?

TheLoneNameChanger · 08/03/2022 09:50

And again, where's the push for men's language to be changed to be more inclusive if that is indeed the intention?

Well, Prostate Cancer UK has been writing about making their services more inclusive and providing support to women since 2015.

prostatecanceruk.org/about-us/news-and-views/2015/4/treating-all-people-the-same-is-not-equality

Waitwhat23 · 08/03/2022 10:09

And on their campaign materials, they use men. Not 'those with a prostate', not 'ejaculators', not 'sperm producers', not even 'people'. Men.

Edinburgh considering period products for all people

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