It shouldn’t be news to anyone–women get periods . In fact, sometimes they even use sanitary pads to help them avoid stains and leaks during those darn periods. For most, the time for stigmatizing periods is far behind us. Yet, there are still some bizarre cases of people trying to pull the plug on period talk, even though it’s a natural human process. One woman found herself being criticized by her coworkers just for visibly taking a pad into the bathroom to use during her period. She took to the website Mumsnet to share her story, and the comments have flooded in.
She was called into the office for one awkward reason.
A woman with the username TinLeaf, explained, “This afternoon my manager [called] me into her office. Apparently, a couple of people have spoken to her because I sometimes walk to the office toilets carrying a sanitary towel and it’s making them uncomfortable.” As if periods aren’t painful enough, she had to deal with the sting of one uncomfortable situation.
A woman at her office suggested TinLeaf conceal her pads.
To add insult to injury, she was asked to carry her pads in her bag when heading to the bathroom instead of walking with a pad in hand. People at the office apparently felt put off by the sight of her pad. If that’s the biggest office scandal on their hands (if you can call it that), this group of professionals should count themselves pretty lucky and leave this poor woman alone. Periods shouldn’t be something to be ashamed about or hidden.
She thinks her office is being “ridiculous”.
She wrote, “I thought times had moved on and I refuse to be made to feel ashamed of my period. I think the people who have complained are being ridiculous and need to get over it.” Feeling as if people being offended by menstruation is something of the past, TinLeaf asked some people in the present what they think about this messy situation. The thread has spoken.
People are calling this a classic case of misogyny.
Although some of the complaints have come from the women at her office, the culture of hiding periods comes from a long history of misogyny. Even women are compelled to police periods because there’s a clear association with shame. One commenter wrote, “Your manager never should have even spoken to you about this, what misogynistic nonsense. Are packs of tissues banned in your office? Think I’d start leaving them on my desk at all times! Maybe make a sign saying mind your own business out of tampons?” It’s safe to say, everyone has their own approach to cleaning up this situation.
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Others think that some discretion is needed.
There are people that understand that periods are normal occurrences, but also don’t see why everyone needs to know when they’re happening. People come from different walks of life and have ideas of what’s appropriate and not. SparkleSpangle wrote, “While I think it is ridiculous anyone complained, there is something to be said for being discreet. Obviously you are going to have a period but do you need to let everyone know. Just put it in your pocket.” That’s certainly one way to go about it.
People wonder why this is even a thing.
With just about any workplace, there’s a certain amount of goals and productivity expected to go into each and every day. So, when a woman carrying a pad to the bathroom becomes meeting worthy, it raises a few questions about what’s actually important to the organization. One user said Bergamotte said, “They can’t be working very hard if they notice (assuming you aren’t waving it around above your head!).” It’s kind of like, don’t people have literally anything else to think about?
This could be a change to ask the office to be more helpful.
Bergamotte also wrote, “You could suggest that the company supplies pads and tampons in the toilets to save you having to carry one in.” This brings to light how instead of asking how they can help those in the office who have periods, this office asks them to hide their periods altogether. Avoiding a problem isn’t a solution and it can also cause things to get worse. If TinLeaf didn’t have to bring her own pad to the bathroom in the first place, this conversation wouldn’t be necessary.
There are plenty of solutions that people have offered.
While most people agree that her office was out of line for asking her to hide her pads, they’re trying to help her troubleshoot some alternatives. One person suggested period pants, another suggested office pants with deep pockets and a few people made funny recommendations, like “Put it in a clear sandwich bag next time.”
We can only hope things get better for this woman.
Most people can see how this situation could put someone in a vulnerable situation. We can only hope that TinLeaf had an easier time going forward, and that the people at her office work with her to make sure that everyone, including her, is comfortable. Period.
Let us know what you think of TinLeaf’s awkward situation in the comments and if you think it’s time to stop giving people a hard time about handling periods in public.