Menstruation has always been a taboo in most parts of the world, so the problems associated with it are never discussed on open platforms. But it appears that these taboos are being smashed. Continuing the link, a father of three daughters from Cornwall is campaigning to normalise and recognise that suffering from period pain is a legitimate cause for not attending school.
Marcus Alleyne (37) was shocked when he learned that his 13-year-old daughter Izzy was tagged as having an “unauthorised absence" despite feeling unwell with period cramps.
Marcus commenced his campaign after learning about this. By this petition he wants the condition of dysmenorrhea or period pain to be addressed in the same manner as other ailments. With over 32,000 signatures on his Change.org petition, he is on track to surpass the 35,000-signature goal.
According to reports, when Marcus phoned her secondary school and was asked why she was missing, he stated that she was not feeling really well because of severe period cramps." He was subsequently informed that this was not deemed an acceptable excuse, and Izzy would be listed as ‘unauthorised absence.’
“The school inquired if it was because of period pains, and I answered yes… and the school responded that it would be recorded as an unauthorised absence," he told Plymouth Live. He went on to say that according to school if it had been any other disease or condition, it would have been noted as an illness rather than an illegal absence. He was shocked by the answer, saying, “If I had said she had a migraine, we wouldn’t be having this conversation."
While Marcus recognised that most women experience period pain at some point in their life, he added that the message given by schools and society that those suffering from excessive pain should “get on with it" needs to change.
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