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/

Have posted on the other thread - I have concerns about the appointment but I don't see how any of this is helpful.

He's not claiming to have periods or be affected by symptoms that only affect women. It just seems like online bullying to be honest.

Just seen on a Twitter thread linked to on another page that Judy Murray has tweeted 'FFS' to the article about the backlash over this. I really hope the FFS is for the content, not the backlash 🙏🏻

Nobody needs to be in period poverty. A mooncup is about £20 and lasts forever. Ditto the washable pads. The problem here is over-reliance on disposable sanpro, which in itself creates additional problems in the form of landfill. We should be trying to solve the problem by providing more women with reusable sanpro, not providing free disposable sanpro.

This relies on girls/women having the knowledge and resources to be able to use & clean them properly.

Those in poverty are going to be the ones most likely to not be able to do this.

A really good point 1blossomtree

But reusable also has added costs of being able to render it reusable ie wash it. Some women and girls don't have adequate provision and privacy. Period poverty isn't just about the sanpro, or shouldn't be.

I remember a time of not being able to afford sanpro and I was working full time in the civil service, albeit in a very junior role. Jacob Rees Mogg wants to send us all back there

This is useful regarding reuseable products @Varoty

-There is also a general sentiment that people in a state of crisis may require familiar products such as tampons or sanitary pads – it is perhaps with the luxury of choice and a fundamental sense of security that we can experiment happily with new ideas. Could this be the case here?

-Are there any other risks to personal safety or unmet basic needs such as food/shelter that need addressing as a priority?

-Does the individual have access to clean water including facilities to thoroughly clean the product following the recommended usage instructions?

-Are there any culturally specific requirements to consider?

I think girls/women should be given a choice on this - definitely pro encouraging reuseable products in the right circumstances.

Other people have already said why, but your thinking here is shallow and not well-informed.

So put money into normalising reusable sanpro and educating girls/women on how to use and clean it. I don’t think that’s an acceptable excuse for not using it, they’ll have to navigate many more complex things in life than just knowing how to wash a fabric pad. Or maybe we should just give them disposable clothes too, since it’s obviously too much to expect them to know how to wash something.

There are cultural barriers which may mean these products will never be acceptable. There are those living in poverty which means they aren't able to access hot water to clean the products - fundamentally, wearing dirty clothes isn't going to lead to the kinds of health problems using dirty sanpro will, although it's still incredibly detrimental.

Even with education & knowledge, there are those with learning disabilities or other conditions that mean they won't be able to use the products safely.

Or maybe we should just give them disposable clothes too, since it’s obviously too much to expect them to know how to wash something.
What a shitty comment. And again, utterly ill-informed and devoid of any sort of thinking.

I can’t use a moon cup. And I also cannot afford to be doing extra loads of laundry. I’m lucky I even own a washing machine, but many women in period poverty do not own one and cannot use laundromats or flat laundry rooms to wash period products. Unsurprisingly women in period poverty are in, well, poverty.

There are fully biodegradable plastic free sanpro options, that would be worth advocating for as it doesn’t have the environmental issues of usual plastic/bleached sanpro.

@Varoty
they’ll have to navigate many more complex things in life than just knowing how to wash a fabric pad. Or maybe we should just give them disposable clothes too, since it’s obviously too much to expect them to know how to wash something.

Yes, the problem isn’t poverty at all, it’s that I don’t know how to wash anything. I’m just a stupid stupid poor person who needs a saviour like you to come by and teach me how. You sound very much like the Victorian middle class housewives who would ‘visit the poor’ to show them how to budget their food money and cook nutritious cheap dinners…because obviously the poor have no idea how to budget or cook without their superiors showing them how. 😡

To be honest, I'm not here to be helpful or kind to men who insist on elbowing their way into women's spaces.

He was hired by women. So, really you are bullying someone whose only crime was being hired by women for an admin position on a team supporting women. We actually need more men supporting women, not fewer men. It’s sexist backlash like this that fuels the misogynists out there, and pushes men away from careers supporting women.

Does anyone know how it is envisaged this scheme will work in practice?

I understand the principle that period products will be freely available to all, with no questions asked or limits in quantity.

Do they plan for Scottish women who can afford to buy their own products to use the service, or is the expectation it will be used mainly by those who are struggling?

How will abuse of the system be prevented, e.g. helping oneself to large quantities to sell over the border?

I'm purely curious about this, not directly impacted as I am a post-menopausal woman in England.

he shouldn’t have even applied for it

And how will someone whose personal ethical framework includes promoting tobacco sales, deal with data handling of data captured by the periodapp which women and girls are supposed to use to order the products (according to the publicity for the scheme).

Why not? Oh let me guess, because he doesn’t have a vagina even though having a vagina has nothing to do with the job role. 😒

how will someone whose personal ethical framework includes promoting tobacco sales, deal with data handling of data captured by the periodapp which women and girls are supposed to use to order the products @C8H10N4O2

Working in a ethically dubious position isn't the same thing as not following legislation on data protection, and engaging in illegal behaviour. If you have concerns on the data science aspect of the Period Dignity Partnership, submit a FOI request.

I've had to work in jobs that don't align with my moral compass (i.e., starbucks, "big pharma"), because you don't always have the luxury of choice. Again, I think this is uncessary personal attacks, that just muddy the waters of getting valid concerns across.

You mentioned earlier on in the thread about his posts on the project - still really interested in reading - where are you looking?

Probably with great care as we know the tobacco companies are very capable at keeping data secret.

he shouldn’t have even applied for it

You can't blame a candidate for applying for or getting a job @Hoppinggreen

If they didn't want a male candidate, and had justification for making it a female only post, they should have done this.

?
How does it have nothing to do with it?

Not everybody has the physical ability to use a mooncup (body shape, disabilities, or other issues such as OCD)

And reusable period liners involve an initial outlay in cost plus further issues with disabilities, hygiene issues etc.

Why dont people start wanging on about reusable toilet paper before we start trying to make periods a point to guilt trip.

@FatEaredFuck - quite.
This is the sort of lack of understanding that leads to poor advice about periods and period poverty.