Truth about sanitary pad brands
Over the past few months, many feminist activists have accused China’s major sanitary pad brands of “exploiting loopholes in sanitary napkin length regulations to cut costs and make more profits.”
Producer accused of arbitrariness
The anger of the workers reached its peak when some big manufacturers made the statement ‘buy if you like’. After which the consumer appealed on social media for a complete boycott of their product.
‘Playing with women’s health’
“The quality control of sanitary napkins is directly related to women’s health and should not be ignored,” said China Youth Daily, the official newspaper of China’s Communist Youth League. The safety and quality demands of women consumers can be effectively addressed only when they are taken care of and taken up further.”
Government media is urging sanitary napkin manufacturers to drastically improve consumer experience and focus more on quality control. Analysts believe the latest case highlights Beijing’s failure to end discrimination against women over the past several decades.
In the past, Chinese social justice campaigners have been arrested and prosecuted for participating in various movements such as ‘Me Too’ and helping victims of sexual violence. Two years ago, China’s state-owned rail operator was strongly criticized for not providing sanitary pads on trains.
More than 340 million women aged 15 to 49 use sanitary napkins in China, and sales of such products amount to about 98 billion yuan, or US$13.4 billion, Radio Free Asia reported on Monday. Yet many mainland Chinese women do not trust feminine care products made in their country.
