The women behind the appointment of Tayside’s first period dignity officer have defended their decision to put a man in post.
Twitter erupted at the news Dundonian man Jason Grant was to lead the fight on period poverty.
Many hit out against the decision including tennis legend Martina Navratilova.
She called the decision ‘f*****g ridiculous’ and joined the growing number of voices of dissent overnight on the social media platform.
We revealed yesterday that former personal trainer Jason Grant – whose most recent job was as a student wellbeing officer with Dundee and Angus College – was chosen for the pioneering position.
News of the Dundonian’s role came as Scotland became the first country in the world where public institutions are legally enforced to provide period products.
But it prompted a backlash, one which reached the global stage.
Jason is employed by a project team that also includes Dundee and Angus College, Perth College, Angus Council and Dundee City Council.
It’s called the Period Dignity Working Group.
‘Jason was the strongest candidate’
The group comprises of Katie Baxter (Dundee and Angus College), Shelley Hague (Angus Council), Jill Brash (Dundee City Council) and Deborah Lally (Perth College).
And today, they defended the decision to appoint a man into the role.
They say: “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.
“It is 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.”
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