I cannot believe it!!

The person who gives the best interview may just be good at interviews.

So the "strongest candidate" is not the best person for the job?

Gosh, I was getting that wrong for all those years I was employing people. I should have had a worldwide search and never given up until I found perfection.

Sparklefizz

eazybee

Why any country should need a 'Period Dignity Officer ' is beyond me.

Exactly my own opinion!

Presumably because neither of you has experienced the shame of being unable to afford sanitary products.

So the "strongest candidate" is not the best person for the job

No they’re not, & they haven’t been for years. Haven’t you heard of positive discrimination? I’m shocked you haven’t seen this if you were in recruitment?

Companies are obliged to recruit from all backgrounds, especially those who they feel have been discriminated in the past.
Therefore, a woman could well get a job in a male dominated environment even if many male candidates were better.
This was happening in the company I worked for 30 years ago.

Someone was asking how "people who need them" could be identified - by having them available without cross-examination or means test, that is how.

Like Granny23 and every other woman in Scotland who ever uses a toilet in a restaurant, cafe, shop, gym, community centre, or any other public place, I have seen those supplies of sanitary products available free to anyone who needs them.

We are accustomed to having free toilet paper, and free hot water and soap in our free toilets (no need to search our bags to put a coin in the slot) why not sanitary protection?

The project management of the scheme can be managed by someone of either sex. He is managing distribution operations, not giving instruction to pre-adolescents.

Having said that, maybe a man instructing boys on menstruation might get the correct info over better than a woman, as long as he didn't include the incorrect non-fact that trans people menstruate - whatever substitute they engineer, they just don't have periods.

I don't like his job title, though. Surely they could have thought up a better name than that, even if period dignity was the underlying aim of the project.

In third world countries, it is commonplace for girls to miss a week of schooling each month, because they can't afford sanitary products, so have to stay at home. Poverty is no respecter of borders.

Kandinsky

*So the "strongest candidate" is not the best person for the job*

No they’re not, & they haven’t been for years. Haven’t you heard of positive discrimination? I’m shocked you haven’t seen this if you were in recruitment?

Companies are obliged to recruit from all backgrounds, especially those who they feel have been discriminated in the past.
Therefore, a woman could well get a job in a male dominated environment even if many male candidates were better.
This was happening in the company I worked for 30 years ago.

I'm shocked you think I was in recruitment.

You can explain all about it to me especially since in 40 years of employing staff I never employed somebody because of their sex/gender/ethnicity/whatever. We employed based on suitability for the job.

Trans people do menstruate - many trans men and a lot of non-binary people do.

volver what are you on about now? I never said anything about independence. Others may have brought Scottish 'government' into this discussion but not me!
If you want to make it political I could bring up that the suggestion to make sanitary products free was first made by Lib Dems and Labour and supported by Tories but the idea was taken over by SNP.

Only women menstruate, the female sex, no matter how they choose to describe themselves.

Out of interest, what is the price of a packet of sanitary towels/tampons nowadays?

My point is that he wasn’t saying trans women do.

Only the female sex menstruate, no matter how they choose to describe themselves.

Out of interest, what is the price of a packet of sanitary towels/tampons nowadays?

Me too volver. Why would anyone not choose the person who gave the best interview and was the strongest candidate? A man talking about periods and in charge of provision of sanitary products? Pass the smelling salts!?

That was in response to volver @ 08.49.

A brief job description:

A spokesperson for the Period Dignity Working Group defended Mr Grant's appointment: “This new role, funded by the Scottish Government, was created to promote and implement new legislation, specifically focused on project management

The role builds on some fantastic work which has been gathering speed across the Tay region for several years, led by a passionate group of people of all genders, ages and backgrounds.

With all partners in the working group Equal Opportunities Employers, Jason was the strongest candidate.

By changing the culture, encouraging debate and removing the stigma around periods, we look forward to supporting the delivery of this important work across the region.

They also made clear that Mr Grant will not be giving any interviews

It's sad if there is a stigma around periods although I realise there could be difficulties with those who cannot afford sanitary products, but this issue seems to have been addressed by the Scottish Government.

It looks to be more a role of consultancy with the public rather than a practical role of managing distribution of sanitary products.

Callistemon21

A brief job description:

A spokesperson for the Period Dignity Working Group defended Mr Grant's appointment: “This new role, funded by the Scottish Government, was created to promote and implement new legislation, specifically focused on project management

The role builds on some fantastic work which has been gathering speed across the Tay region for several years, led by a passionate group of people of all genders, ages and backgrounds.

With all partners in the working group Equal Opportunities Employers, Jason was the strongest candidate.

By changing the culture, encouraging debate and removing the stigma around periods, we look forward to supporting the delivery of this important work across the region.

They also made clear that Mr Grant will not be giving any interviews

It's sad if there is a stigma around periods although I realise there could be difficulties with those who cannot afford sanitary products, but this issue seems to have been addressed by the Scottish Government.

It looks to be more a role of consultancy with the public rather than a practical role of managing distribution of sanitary products.

That's not a job description. Its an extract from a media article.

There is a job description in one of the links here, but that's not it.

Volver - I'm shocked you think I was in recruitment

Volver - I was getting that wrong for all those years I was employing people. I should have had a worldwide search and never given up until I found perfection

If you’ve been employing people for years you will be very familiar with how recruitment works.

But here’s a hair to split to make you happy.

Guess it's the scientist in me.

That, and random people popping up in six months to say "But you told Kandindky you were in recruitment"

I suspect he is not the one young girls will approach about their periods. He is the Project Manager and, if he's the best person for the job, why not?

There is also the point that if we got over this ridiculous idea that periods are shameful to discuss with a man, we might yet break down another barrier. They are a natural part of life and nobody should feel they can't discuss them with a male or female. It will certainly help girls when they have to see a male gynaecologist or obstetrician or in the sexual health clinic.

When I was a young teen in the 50s my mum told me to never mention periods to my dad or brother. That made me think there was something shameful about having a period.
Things are better now but still a way to go till girls are comfortable talking about periods to a non medical person.
I hope this Period Dignity Officer can help to break down barriers.

volver

Callistemon21

A brief job description:

A spokesperson for the Period Dignity Working Group defended Mr Grant's appointment: “This new role, funded by the Scottish Government, was created to promote and implement new legislation, specifically focused on project management

The role builds on some fantastic work which has been gathering speed across the Tay region for several years, led by a passionate group of people of all genders, ages and backgrounds.

With all partners in the working group Equal Opportunities Employers, Jason was the strongest candidate.

By changing the culture, encouraging debate and removing the stigma around periods, we look forward to supporting the delivery of this important work across the region.

They also made clear that Mr Grant will not be giving any interviews

It's sad if there is a stigma around periods although I realise there could be difficulties with those who cannot afford sanitary products, but this issue seems to have been addressed by the Scottish Government.

It looks to be more a role of consultancy with the public rather than a practical role of managing distribution of sanitary products.

That's not a job description. Its an extract from a media article.

There is a job description in one of the links here, but that's not it.

Ok, fair enough, it's not.

But it gives an indication of the type of work he will be doing.

I am not sure we should be helping women in that way. I dont care about this particular appointment to be clear. But many women need access to gynaecologists of the same sex, and there are very good reasons for this.

No mention of any medical qualifications then?

Odd.

Galaxy

I am not sure we should be helping women in that way. I dont care about this particular appointment to be clear. But many women need access to gynaecologists of the same sex, and there are very good reasons for this.

Yes, I agree.

How is this appointment being received in Muslim communities?
Is there any feedback?

Baggs

So long as women don't have to speak to him about their needs, but can speak to a woman, then I don't have a problem with the appointment. He's just heading the 'business' side, I would think, dealing with the logistics of getting supplies to where they are needed and so forth.

I do agree that at first sight, having a man in this post feels a bit odd.

Why on earth should it matter whether this particular civil servant is male or female.

I am 70, and since I first needed to buy sanitary protection, it never bothered me whether the shop assistant was female or male.

It is to be hoped that both men and women have some basic knowledge of the biology of the sex they themselves do not belong to.

That aside, I too have found many male gynaecologists much easier to consult than their female counterparts!