Dundee man leads fight against period poverty

[PrimAndProperPearlClutcher]

“It’s about making people aware of the availability of period products for anyone of any gender, whenever they need it.

... '“I was chosen as the best person for the job and for me, it’s irrespective of gender.

“Having a guy can’t be a bad thing – it grabs the headlines, but that’s not the reason I was put into post!” Jason continues.

“For me it’s about driving the discussion from a young age so boys and girls are included and there’s no hiding it away because that keeps it as a taboo topic.

“I want to be seen as a positive male role model.”'

www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/lifestyle/health-wellbeing/3593497/dundee-man-leading-period-poverty-fight-how-to-get-free-products/

I stand by my stance.
Not having periods is a pretty big disadvantage. You'd have to be fan-bloody-tastic to outweigh that disadvantage.

Or else the female candidates were awful. I struggle to believe the women could have been that bad.

Or no other candidates applied? Job only advertised for 9 days, not in the correct section, not widely disseminated (couldn't find any mention of it on twitter, for example, but happy to be corrected).

It does put the press release comment that hiring Jason was a "no brainer" into context, as it's a pretty offensive thing to accounce publicly if you shortlisted & interviewed more than one person.

The reply to the FOI will be interesting on this.

Discovereads wrote: "Free Sanpro should be available for both sexes to pick up. Saying you must be female to pick them up forces girls/women to get their own Sanpro as this effectively bars them from sending a boy/man to get some on their behalf."

I recently heard about the problems some homeless women have in obtaining sanpro in some homeless shelters which offer "freely available" sanpro. Homeless men in the shelters make sure they get to the sanpro ahead of the women and then the men use the sanpro as a way of obtaining "favours" or money etc. from the women in return for the sanpro.

That's awful, @vesuvia

Exactly.

I feel a bit impatient with posters who say Oh why can’t men pick it up, that means the woman has to get her own.
So what? Women here are being offered FREE Sanpro. Something many many women around the world would truly appreciate. Just get on with it and get your own fgs. Some people really do think the world owes them everything on a plate.

Jeez discovered. Get to the point you want to make here

my point is Scottish government has to stop making school toilets unisex.

it stops girls making choices. Who wants to walk into a unisex toilet and grab a tampon in full view of the boys

thats the reality of life in Scottish schools now

I disagree with Maya Forstater on this. If there is low uptake on these schemes it is probably due to failure in the administration and organisation of the schemes, sanpro being so essential that women and parents are buying it at the expense of buying food, etc., or the combination of poverty stigma and period stigma is so shaming (particularly in a school setting) that the target users are not getting the products.

Having said that, I can't believe how much money is being spent on this scheme, before a single penny has been spent on the actual sanpro.

Although I do agree that it would be better just to make sure that no-one is in poverty, rather than providing free essentials.

@Thereisnolight
I can’t always go out and get my own and if you’d read my whole post instead of the first paragraph of it, you’d know why. Please go read and let me know if you would like to withdraw your comments towards me.

@littlbrowndog

Was this addressed to me? I have made no comment on the subject of unisex toilets.

How long has he been in post? I can't remember. Anyway with 45 a/l days a year to use up he can't leave it too long before he takes a break from all that buzzing.

twitter.com/thecourieruk/status/1560251493185355777?s=21

Yes, four senior women made the decision to hire him

The Period Dignity Working Group comprises Katie Baxter (Dundee and Angus College), Shelley Hague (Angus Council), Jill Brash (Dundee City Council) and Deborah Lally (Perth College). A spokesperson for the Working Group added, “Taking a regional approach is the best way forward for us as it ensures we are maximising our funding, resources and the wealth of knowledge across our organisations for the benefit of our Tay Cities. Employing Jason was a no-brainer with his vast experience in project management from both the private and public sectors, coupled with his passion for making a difference to the people in our community, period!”

The Courier is asking questions, mostly following on from this thread apparently.

twitter.com/thecourieruk/status/1560251516665184257?s=21

Well quite, @vesuvia
Or they might take them to sell!

Men/boys are extremely unlikely to be picking Sanpro up for a woman/girl - if you really can't go yourself you'd ask another woman! Ridiculous, disingenuous attempt to shoehorn men into an area that should be for women only.

Good! I hope they are persistent.

i should imagine they will be. A National/international story that they are on the ground for. Council questions, they will be able to find out much more.

@BellaAmorosa
I can’t always go out and get my own and if you’d read my whole post instead of the first paragraph of it, you’d know why. Please go read and let me know if you would like to withdraw your comments towards me.

Maybe I’m missing the point here but.... single sex toilets in schools???!!!

What the actual fuck?!

It was horrible enough going to the girls toilet when people could hear you ripping the pad from your pants, never mind the boys hearing it (oh and nowadays the fear of someone putting their phone into the cubicle and taking a photo)

So now it has been reported bu the Courier that Jason is on 'annual leave' (for a job he just started?) and cannot be reached. Furthermore, he has deleted his own Twitter account (which had a new profile picture of him grinning in a bright red shirt announcing his new post).

In Ireland, you can sign up through the lidl app and get a free box of tampons or pads every month. It would make a lot more sense (and probably be much cheaper to administer) for the vast majority of women to be able to access if needed free sanpro through their local shops through a voucher system acessible via smart phone. Other women who need it and don't have a smart phone could probably best be reached through shelters, food banks and via social services. Period dignity officers seems like creating busy work when the long and short of it is get period products to women who need them

Very glad that a Freedom of Information job has been done. Thank you, to the woman who has done this.

Were there any women candidates for this job? Were all women in Scotland rejected as less qualified than this man, for this job? Fucking hell.

Were all the women candidates rejected because, somehow, women weren't qualified on doing spreadsheets?

What about periods? A life process that only women can experience?

Why on earth was a man - a man - chosen as The Man, for a job he has actual fuck-all practical knowledge and experience about.

"Dignity". Makes me laugh long and loud. Whose "dignity"? Men's dignity in mansplaining to girls and women?

What about the dignity of women and girls, who actually experience periods and have to deal with them and all that they entail? But No, just stick a man in there to mansplain it to us. Job done.

Fucking cringingly bad.

According to the Courier poll, 10% of people think it's fine.

I think the FOI is due a response by 15 September will be interesting what the council release. I can't imagine they would have good reasons to decline to respond.

Presumably as his mate had given him his last two jobs, he applied assuming he was a shoe in. That's suspiciously like corruption of nepotism.

Even worse if the short advertised period was deliberate to prevent other people applying...