Two men have attempted to fix a female menstrual issue that according to the female population was not actually an issue.
A German-based start-up has been embroiled in controversy in the past week after their product was noticed, and condemned, by a gynaecologist.
Watch: If your period was a person. Post continues below.
The product in question is a pink glove designed to prevent women from getting menstrual blood on their hands when disposing of a pad or tampon. But the backlash was so great that they've now decided to cease all production.
Here's what you need to know about the 'pinky glove,' the men who invented it and the response they've received from women.
How did this happen?
Founders Eugen and André have shared their business idea was born back in 2010, when they moved into a share house with women and observed "there was apparently no good solution for the disposal of sanitary items".
"To be honest, as male roommates we were a little bit surprised when we looked into the bathroom bucket," Eugen explained in a post on their Instagram.
"We made it our task to find a solution that would make life easier for all women during their period," they continue.
Enter: The 'Pinky Glove' - a vibrant pink glove for females, which the founders describe as "appealing and stylish" and is designed to avoid skin contact with menstrual blood. The glove then turns into a disposable bag for women to bin.
The company says their product will mean "women can avoid unpleasant smells, bacteria and germs in the garbage, and keep the used tampons from the eyes of others".
Many have pointed out this is a typical example of "menstrual capitalism," which refers to the "growing industry that intentionally uses positive, feminist-oriented messages about women's bodies and female empowerment in order to sell menstrual-related products," especially when the product provides no real benefit for women.
How have women responded?
Well... not well.
The target audience of the 'pinky glove' - women with periods - are the very audience most enraged by the product.
Gynecologist Jennifer Gunter raised the alarm last week, sharing with her more than 300,000 followers her outrage at the design.
Clue, a company that produces a period-tracking app, said these gloves only serve to promote "the idea that periods are shameful and dirty".
Thousands of women agreed, taking to the comments section of 'Pinky Gloves' Instagram, to share their frustrations, with many saying this product actively perpetuates the stigma attached to periods.
"Do women have problems with disposal or do men have problems seeing a used tampon for what it is?!" one person commented.
"And why should it be my problem when two dudes are puzzled at the sight of 'feminine hygiene products'? Then educate yourself about it, educate yourselves and overcome YOUR amazement, but please don't tell me that I have to dispose of my hygiene [products] differently because YOU are amazed," another said.
One woman also pointed out the inherent sexism in the product, saying: "Please also have a blue glove variant for the disposal of used condoms."
How has the company responded?
As the cries of condemnation continued, the company decided to cease all production.
"At no point did we intend to discredit anyone or make a natural process taboo," they explained.
The men asked for their audience to be understanding of their error, writing: "People make mistakes - and you have to deal with mistakes, you have to learn from them and you should also be given the chance to work on mistakes."
They also apologised for offence caused, saying they "apologise to everyone whose feelings and emotions have been hurt. We can understand that so many are upset about it."
Feature image: Getty/Mamamia.
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