Period trackers are increasingly popular among women. The handy apps allow us to chronicle how we're feeling throughout the month to spot patterns and abnormalities, and identify when we're most fertile.
But now, in a new low for workplace sexism, some men have apparently taken to using this technology to track when their colleagues are on their periods for their own benefit: to "avoid unnecessary situations” and "stay away from trouble,” reported news.com.au.
A woman told the Australian news website how her male colleagues began tracking her period after they had an argument at work. "They want to stay away from me when I’m PMSing, because I get a bit moody,” she said, before apparently laughing it off.
The man, who is the woman's "friend", had been tracking her menstrual cycle on his work calendar and had set up reminders for when her period was due.
Adding insult to injury, the man had sent the calendar to other male colleagues so they could track the periods of other women in the office.
One of the men, who funnily enough wanted to remain anonymous, justified his sexist, intrusive and unbelievable creepy behaviour by saying he was "just trying to stay away from trouble”. He added that he regularly reminds her when she's "PMSing" and walks away before a situation escalates.
Because no disagreement could ever be the result of a woman's legitimate point or because she called a man out for simply being a sexist moron.
Unsurprisingly, another of the men told news.com.au he couldn't quite grasp why many people thought his behaviour was inappropriate. “What’s sexist is how women are allowed to blame their volatile actions and unstable emotions on their ‘periods’, I just wish men had that option too.”
Really.
It turns out this behaviour extends much further than an office in Australia. Apps such as iAmAMan, not available in the UK, and uPMS exist solely for men to track women's periods. (How do men like this manage to get so close to women in the first place?)
uPMS claims it's for "all guys out there suffering the monthly Psychotic Mood Shifts from their better halves", while the now defunct PMS Buddy once claimed to "save relationships".
If only there were an app warning women how to steer clear of jackasses.
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