Hey Girls, a social enterprise set up to tackle period poverty, has launched a UK-wide #Pads4Dads campaign.
Aimed at men, the campaign encourages Dads to feel more confident speaking to their daughters about periods.
Research, surveying 1,500 men, found that one in three Dads feel unprepared to have conversations about periods with their kids, a third admit they’ve never purchased sanitary products and 50% said they’ve never chatted to their daughters about periods.
To combat this and to stop menstruation feeling like such a taboo subject, Hey Girls teamed up with celebrity actor, activist and father, Michael Sheen to launch #Pads4Dads – a movement to encourage men to talk to their daughters more about periods, but also a useful online guide, written by Dads for Dads, with all they need to know about the subject.
Speaking about the campaign Michael said:
It’s awkward for Dads to have this chat because chances are, they didn’t learn about periods in school. Believe me, we want to be supportive, but there’s almost no information out there aimed at Dads.
Let’s not leave Dads out of the bloody conversation!
Celia Hodson, Founder of Hey Girls, said:
We are delighted to launch #Pads4Dads. Education is so important to break down the myths and taboo that still surround periods. Everyone in my family is totally used to chatting about periods now but I do understand talking to teenagers about puberty can be awkward.
However, for Dads of daughters with no female relatives around, it can be more than that – it’s often quite scary. We wanted to create something empowering to give Dads a helping hand. It was a pleasure to work with Michael in doing so.
Aileen Campbell MSP, Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government said:
We are leading the way in Scotland to provide access to free sanitary products and talk more openly about menstruation. I am proud to see Hey Girls taking action to reduce the stigma around periods as a female only conversation. It is important to engage Dads and other male role models by encouraging them to talk about this important subject.
The campaign will also be supported by STV who will provide free airtime through its STV Growth Fund.
For more information and to see our campaign video for #Pads4Dads go to www.heygirls.co.uk/pads-for-
Image: Hey Girls