Disposing of tampons isn’t rocket science. You pull the string, wrap it in tissue and stick it in the bin. Job done.
But a group of guys from Germany think we’re doing it all wrong.
The three men created a product called Pinky – a bright pink glove you’re encouraged to wear while removing a tampon or pad, which then forms its own bag. Yep, it’s essentially a dog poo bag for people who have periods.
The invention has gone down like a lead balloon with women on social media, who’ve accused the men of “mansplaining” periods, as well as contributing to the discourse that periods are dirty, shameful and must be hidden.
The Pinky glove gained global attention after it was shared by Dr Jen Gunter, dubbed “Twitter’s resident gynaecologist”.
“So these dudes designed pink gloves so tampons and pads can be disposed of properly and discretely. I shit you not,” she tweeted, alongside translated screenshots from the brand’s Instagram.
In the screenshots, the men claim they created the product after speaking to female housemates about the challenges of disposing tampons – but people on Twitter are having none of it.
Others pointed out the frustration that a women-owned business for washable period pants struggled to gain backers, while the men have found investors for their garish gloves.
The Pinky founders have since apologised for missing the mark.
“We have not dealt adequately and properly with the subject. That was a big mistake,” they said in a statement posted on Instagram (translated using Google).
“The good thing about the current situation is that the period and its political aspects are getting a lot of attention and the important social discourse is now widespread.”
The founders went on to insist that they are “absolutely in favour” of removing the taboo surrounding periods.
“We realise that we still have a lot to learn and that we have some blind spots,” they said. “We take your feedback very seriously and [will] rethink our product and reflect on the entire history of its creation.”
They added that while they’ll listen to constructive criticism, they and their families members have be subject to “hate speech”, adding: “Please remain objective with your justified criticism.”