#MyAlwaysExperience: Women share nasty experience with ‘substandard’ Always sanitary pads in Kenya
Are they safe or are they not? That is the question on the minds of many women who use Always pads in the country.
Since February, Kenyan women have been complaining about the quality of the pads that Proctor and Gamble (P&G), the manufacturers of Always pads, distributes in Kenya.
Hundreds of women thronged social media to complain and gave several examples on why they think that the pads they use in Kenya are not of the same quality as those developed in Western countries.
Proctor and Gamble (P&G) were forced to respond through a newly created Twitter page and defended their pads in Kenya saying their quality is similar to those in other parts of the world.
“The Always Ultra pads we have in Kenya are similar to the Always pads in other parts of the world including Germany, UK, US, South Africa. All our pads including the ones in Kenya are designed and developed in Europe and the US,” they tweeted.
The Always Ultra pads we have in Kenya are similar to the Always pads in other parts of the world including Germany, UK, US, South Africa. All our pads including the ones in Kenya are designed and developed in Europe and the US .
— Always Kenya (@Always_Kenya) March 12, 2019
The manufacturer added, “The needs of our women and girls in Kenya are our number 1 priority, and we recognize that our consumers have evolving needs which is why we introduced our new product Always Soft which has a softer and more comfortable feel on skin.”
They also gave a link on their twitter page were consumers can go and compare the products.
“All our products go through very rigorous regulatory tests and are also tested with real women to ensure that they are safe for use.”
But Kenyan women online would hear none of it, accusing the Always manufacturers of ignoring their concerns on one too many occasion.
The women took to the hashtag #MyAlwaysExperience to air their grievances and here are some of them:
Kenya is fighting @Always hard with #myalwaysexperience and it serves them right!
I switched to tampons when I was a teenager because Always did give me a bad rash, and it was uncomfortable AF.
At the time it was the most popular brand.
Been on tampons for over a decade.— Matrone van Riebeck (@oya_amorfati) March 12, 2019
Similar in appearance but not texture! Users are complaining. Listen & improve the product. Selecting & paying a few ladies to do PR is only increasing the itchiness.#MyAlwaysExperience https://t.co/mi7C8fIzDP
— Wambui (@Waambui) March 12, 2019
@PGKenya stop downplaying the candid concerns raised by WOMEN through #MyAlwaysExperience. Your disregard is malevolent!
Listen, women and girls in Kenya won't continue to bear the brunt of harm, pain and discomfort. Always pads are poor quality. Terrible..— Winnie Nyandiga (@Nyandigaa) March 12, 2019
In an attempt to #EndPeriodPoverty @Always is selling us substandard pads in the name of cheap and affordable. As asked by @scheafferoo what is the work of @KEBS_ke? #MyAlwaysExperience
— Samanthah Maina (@samantha_maina_) March 12, 2019
Always stays consistent completely missing the point and constantly providing us with sub standard products. Thank God for the options we now have.#MyAlwaysExperience
— Sheila Mong'are (@SheyMongare) March 12, 2019
Regardless of whether this new hashtag was a rebuttal to the complaints or to promote the new product, it still stands that Always didn't respond to issues raised.#MyAlwaysExperience
— Gatuiri (@Wairauka) March 11, 2019
A while back, Kenyans got online to complain about always sanitary towels under #MyAlwaysExperience and in response* to that, @Always decided to take influencers to Fairmont (idk which one) to make the # #FeelTheComfortAlways trend.
What a wow?
— Petty La Belle (@Kilda_) March 11, 2019
It is WRONG to use bloggers #FeelTheComfortAlways to sanitize cruelty. Women deserve better @KEBS_ke please read #MyAlwaysExperince and #MyAlwaysExperience and see the pain on the Kenyan lady. It is horror!!! https://t.co/pfJHZAJfBD
— Dottie Anne (@anne_dottie) March 11, 2019
This is a pic of an always ultra pad(pink wrapping) and a pad purchased in the US. Even the packaging for always is just so bad. It really feels like you have plastic on down there. We demand better.#MyAlwaysExperience pic.twitter.com/ResxJaGdyi
— Victoria Gakii (@VGakii) March 12, 2019