LBC’s Gina Davidson described the appointment as the ‘epitome of mansplaining’
The decision to appoint a man as Scotland’s first “period dignity officer” has provoked outrage.
Jason Grant, from Dundee, was appointed into the role and will work to promote access to free sanitary products in schools and colleges across the Tay region.
He will also discuss issues around the menopause as part of his job, which has left many people on social media utterly bewildered.
LBC’s Gina Davidson said the move “is the epitome of mansplaining”, while former tennis star Martina Navratilova said choosing Mr Grant for the role is “f****** ridiculous”.
She added: “Have we ever tried to explain to men how to shave or how to take care of their prostate or whatever? This is absurd.”
Susan Dalgety, a newspaper columnist and women’s rights campaigner, tweeted: “I have no idea why anyone thought it was a good idea to appoint a bloke.”
https://twitter.com/lavern_spicer/status/1559503078860152834?s=20&t=pMxUGsZbE_TjdJVjowlhTg
Scotland has just appointed the first Period Dignity Officer… and it’s a man.
You couldn’t make this stuff up. pic.twitter.com/yFfdIFLwGJ
— Samantha Smith (@SamanthaTaghoy) August 15, 2022
The job advert said the suitable candidate needed 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”.
According to a press release from Grainger PR, Mr Grant will be working with the period dignity working group, which has representatives of Dundee and Angus College, Perth College, Angus Council and Dundee City Council.
SNP MP Ian Blackford also said a woman would be better for the role.
“I think it’s important that we get the policy right, I think it’s important that we implement it and I would have thought, as a principle, it would be far better that women are in these posts than anyone else,” the SNP’s leader at Westminster told Sky News.
“It’s a policy that we should all be proud of. At the end of the day, I think there should be a priority of having women in place in these posts.”
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