By Spy Uganda Reporter
Kenyan women have gone ‘Gaaga’on Twitter, drumming for support from fellow women across the world to boycott ‘Always sanitary pads’!
The Rights activists accuse the manufacturer, Proctor & Gamble, of supplying the African market with substandard products.
A tweet by activist Scheaffer Okore under the hashtag, #MyAlwaysExperience, has so far led to hundreds of women sharing their unpleasant experiences with the brand, others calling African Governments to ban it from their respective countries till they ‘respect’ their African customers and improve on their products.
They’ve gone ahead to mobilize all African girls and women to boycott and stop buying the product as they task their respective Governments not to allow them in the market.
TheSpy Uganda has now learnt that Kenyan women have been complaining of itching, rashes, boils and burns allegedly caused by ‘Always sanitary’ brand.
Some had tales of embarrassing “leaks”, while others said they had switched to other brands.
Like many, @yellowyesmellow wrote: “ … Before these conversations, I sincerely thought it was normal that my pad burnt. That I had to apply Vaseline or Arimis on my outer genitals to reduce the burns every time.”
Magdaline Awino revealed of how an itch in her private parts made her suspect that her husband had infected her with a sexually transmitted infection. But when they both went for tests, the results showed no STI or yeast infection as she had suspected. She said the irritation stopped when she switched to a different brand.
The women compared the pads to brands in Europe, saying the latter were more comfortable.
P & G enjoys a great hold on the Kenyan market for sanitary towels and cotton wool, with about five sanitary products.
However, the complaints have forced the firm to create a Twitter account for ‘Always Kenya’, on which it defended its product, saying the quality is similar to those in other parts of the world, “including Germany, UK, US and South Africa”.
According to Kenya’s Daily Nation, the company apologized for the delay in responding to the complaints and termed the comparisons of their products in different regions as misinformation.
The retail giant reiterated that its products undergo rigorous tests, and are made using the same technology and materials.
On the itches and burns the company said: “Different women have had different experiences with our products.”
Kenyans have also asked the company to remove the plastic lining, which is believed to cause rashes, infections, and burns, and to improve on absorbency for Kenya’s tropical climate. They asked Kenyans in the diaspora to share their experiences.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) said it has launched investigations into the complaints, and that “the outcomes of the analysis would determine the next course of action, including market withdrawal of any substandard products.”
It encouraged clients who have had other unpleasant experiences with the brand to report to its office.
