By Ryan General
Chinese women force menstrual pad companies to address deceptive practices
Chinese women united in outrage against menstrual pad brands accused of falsely advertising product sizes, leading to widespread apologies from major manufacturers. The controversy began in early November when viral videos exposed that the absorbent parts of pads from companies like ABC, Sofy and Space 7 were significantly smaller than the dimensions stated on packaging.
- Consumers catch red flag: Viral videos on platforms like Weibo showed influencers measuring the absorbent parts of sanitary pads, revealing discrepancies of 10-20 millimeters compared to packaging claims. Investigations by domestic media confirmed that 88% of tested products failed to match their advertised dimensions. Under Chinese industry standards, size deviations of up to 4% are legal, but consumers deemed the discrepancies unethical, especially given the rising cost of menstrual products in recent years. Many women feel that these essential products are already overpriced, echoing similar concerns about “pink taxes” on female-targeted products in countries like the U.S.
- Companies respond: Several brands attempted to appease consumers by attributing the size variations to production processes but dismissive comments made by a customer service representative from ABC further fueled the controversy, leading to widespread calls for boycotts and demands for greater transparency from manufacturers. ABC’s founder, Deng Jingheng, eventually issued a public apology and pledged to eliminate all product size deviations by March 2025. Other companies, including Shecare and Beishute, also issued statements of apologies.
- Demanding accountability: The incident is part of a growing trend of Chinese women leveraging social media to hold brands accountable and advocate for their consumer rights. This burgeoning feminist movement is increasingly visible in the online sphere, with women collectively challenging companies on issues ranging from product quality and pricing to representation in advertising.
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