How many times have you been called out in school for taking leave while you were on your period? Girls are belittled in schools and made to feel lesser than if they choose to stay home while suffering from period cramps.
But one father from Cornwall, UK has decided to change that with his petition to the Department of Education. When Marcus Alleyne found out that his thirteen-year-old daughter, Izzy was given an ‘unauthorised absence’ in school even though she was suffering from period pain, he took matters in his own hands.
He called up his daughter’s school and informed them the reason for her absence, but the authorities stated that it would be registered as an unauthorised absence. Marcus realised that it was unfair and that his daughter deserved to rest at home. And so, he decided to start a petition on Change.org, demanding period pain be a legitimate reason for being absent in school.
I’m sure anyone who has had a period would agree, that at some stage, they have suffered significantly from Dysmenorrhoea, yes there is actually a medical term for ‘period pains’. How many young females, trans and non-binary pupils are being dismissed within the education setting, as a result of diminishing their experiences, and unilaterally deciding that their discomfort does not matter.
-Marcus Alleyne
So far, the petition has 58,870 signatures, a number that is increasing as we speak. Taking matters in his own hands, this father is making a change we wish we didn’t have to fight for.
