Dear Editor,

After reading the letter to the editor from Dalgalish Henry, published in the Jamaica Observer on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 with the headline ‘A matter of being discreet’, I had to check my calendar to confirm the year we are in.

The letter writer essentially took issue with sanitary pads being advertised in the prime time hour on television, particularly in the sportscast.

Well, my calendar must be wrong because Henry seems to think we are in the year of our Lord 1920, when a period was a matter of shame that must be hidden from the men at all costs, lest the poor things have to endure the thought of menstruation.

Henry suggests that to choose to advertise feminine products when sports news package is being aired is unconscionable. Not only are they victimising our men and boys by having them forced to watch ads for a process that affects only the lesser half of the population, but they are wasting time thinking that decent women are even watching the sports news.

We know that sports are none of our business. Besides, by that time that comes on we are to be in the kitchen barefoot and pregnant, cleaning up after feeding supper to our men. Henry obviously has an idea of the place women ought to occupy, especially as they contend with their monthlies.

These broadcasters really must be careful at the risk of society’s moral degradation. Oh, the horror!

I must agree with the kind Mr Henry when he says that if the proposed sexual harassment Bill is to have the desired impact, then us women must be held accountable, too. As he rightly says, “They will have to be schooled to be more discreet in sexual health and care in all aspects of their public life.” Of course, how can we expect men to know what is unwanted sexual attention when we are throwing our dirty secret in their faces like this during the sportscast? This dangerous practice must be stopped before we have women of loose morals claiming that they should be able to roam the streets — audacious of these fanciful feminists are. I tell you!

Editor, I don’t expect you to publish this letter, seeing that a large number of gentlemen will read your esteemed publication. I apologise for any upset I may have caused. But I just so moved by the letter that I felt it pertinent to apologise on behalf of all well-thinking women, and, in this age of 1920, encourage that all is done within our power to stop these ads.

If we don’t, can you imagine that in 100 years, about 2020, these women will not only want their monthly health issue to be discussed in mainstream media, but they will be demanding that the government not tax the products, or even worse, use our tax dollars to supply secondary schools with the ghastly things. Before we know it, they will want funding for research into illnesses of a private nature, as if pain is not something us women were cursed by God himself to bear.

What will they want next? Equal pay as men?

Candy Kane

Kingston 10

hi.candyk@gmail.com