Photo Courtesy of Change.org
Marcus Alleyne recently petitioned for menstrual periods to be a legitimate reason for school absences and received 50,000 signatures.
According to a petition created on Change.org, Alleyne said that on September 22, his 13-year-old daughter had to miss class due to the issue which affects millions of young women.
Alleyne said, “Very clear disparities” were brought to attention by the school’s decision to make the absence non-excused.
Alleyne mentioned that he felt sad by the fact that he had to take action about the issue and emphasized that the incident raises “significant concerns surrounding the physical, mental and social wellbeing of not only my daughters but all people who have periods across the country.”
The concerned father requested dysmenorrhea to be recognized as a legitimate reason for school absences and gathered over 50,000 signatures, and has already gone over his original goal.
In an interview with Sky News, Alleyne talked about his experience with his family and daughters who frequently have the issue.
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“We didn’t feel as parents that it was right or appropriate to send her into school, so we contacted our school and informed them that she was unwell,” he said. “We had a phone call about half an hour later asking why she was unwell… The school asked if it was due to period pains, and I said yes.”
Alleyne also said that the school’s response that “it would be registered as an unauthorized absence.” He also said following the school’s reaction, his wife Jo and him decided to take action and create awareness for this issue.