Women giving feminism a bad name

Just for the record, I am a feminist. I wave that flag high and proud. I believe in equality regardless of gender. Women are incredible and due to years of oppression through a patriarchal society, we rarely reach our true potential.

Recently there has been a barrage of women making pointless protests about non-issues. The latest in this 'let's discredit feminism' farce, is a woman who ran a marathon without taking sanitary precautions.

In her article, published in today's Independent, she remarks that periods are shrouded in secrecy. No, they're not. That women in the third world are oppressed further by society's embarrassment over a natural monthly occurrence. And you know this, how...? Since women in the third world don't have access to sanitary protection, I don't think it is as much of a taboo subject as it is here.

Mostly, we live in a progressive, cosmopolitan, multi-industrial, overpopulated country full of people from all sorts of races, ages, backgrounds, ideologies and religions. Wearing a tampon isn't about hiding your biology, it's about respecting others, it's about being considerate. This is a selfish act of the highest order.

If these women want to help feminism, how about lobbying the government to abolish tax on tampons and sanitary towels. Or helping women who are dying daily because of true despotism.

This opinion isn't me turning my back on the sisterhood, it's protecting its sanctity and integrity.

I've intentionally not mentioned the primary factor of using tampons or towels - hygiene. Her 'protest' wasn't about poisoning herself in order to prove to the government and the world that sanitary protection for women is essential; it was because she feels women are ashamed of their periods. I might've had a modicum of respect for her, if that was the case.

First published 06/11/2015