'Peak idiocy' | Why the strange case of Scotland's Period Dignity Officer is an HR nightmare

It seems inevitable, when assessing the series of strange twists and turns in the story of Scotland’s first ever ‘period dignity officer’, that the whole case should end with a lawsuit.

To sum up the case: a project team comprising two councils and a college created the role, with the goal of educating and reducing stigma around periods, particularly within colleges and local authorities. A man, rather than a person who menstruates, was chosen for the role. Facing a huge amount of furore and abuse, the man was told the role was scrapped. He's now suing.

At its very core, the job is an entirely reasonable and even progressive prospect. It was funded by the Scottish Government to pick up where Holyrood’s ground-breaking legislation (making tampons and pads free, and ensuring that they’re available in schools) left off.

When announcing the role, the project team in charge of the appointment, which was made up of representatives from Dundee City Council, Angus Council and Dundee & Angus College, heralded it as a ‘pioneering new role to end period poverty and reduce stigma’. It was alleged that whoever took on the position would ‘coordinate and streamline the approach to ‘period dignity’ across the region by working directly with the colleges and local authorities’.