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'Disappointed': Pink 'tampon gloves' spark outrage online
An 'invention' to address an apparent 'problem' women face when disposing tampons and sanitary items while on the go has sparked huge backlash online.
German friends André Ritterswürden and Eugen Raimkulow came up with the idea of the 'Pinky Gloves' after rooming with women. The gloves aim to prevent the users getting period blood on their hands, and allows them to wrap their products to dispose of them.
And yet the idea has fallen flat, with women from around the world blasting the product, particularly as it was designed by men.
"So these dudes designed pink gloves so tampons and pads can be disposed of properly and discretely [sic]. I s**t you not," Dr Jennifer Gunter shared on Twitter.
The men spoke about their idea on German TV, where they explained their female flatmates would wrap their sanitary items in toilet paper. But that would eventually smell, and you could still 'see the blood' soak into the toilet tissue. Overall an "unpleasant" experience, they said.
"We made it our mission to find a solution that makes life easier for all women during the period, a safe feeling and at the same time appealing and stylish," the Pinky Gloves team explained on social media, as translated from the original German.
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A pack of 48 gloves costs 11,96 Euro online – that's nearly $20 AUD. But the idea was almost universally slammed online, as Dr Gunter's tweet sparks a flurry of reactions.
"This product is unnecessary, overpriced, not sustainable, and perpetuates stereotypes and taboos around period blood," one person said in German.
"I'm so confused about what problem they think they're solving. Do they think we don't know how to wash our hands after handling used sanitary products?" another asked.
In German, another woman wrote: "André and Eugen don't experience a period, but definitely know exactly what is good for humans who experience periods."
Another said: "Stop telling women that periods are gross!" a sentiment echoed by many.
The criticism eventually saw the men take to their Instagram account to issue a statement in German.
"We have not dealt adequately and properly with the subject. That was a big mistake," they said.
"We take your feedback very seriously and [will] rethink our product and reflect on the entire history of its creation."
The men also shared a video and went on to stress they never wanted to insinuate that periods were 'gross', adding they had hoped their product would help contribute to removing the 'taboo' and 'stigma' around periods.
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