Sanitary Brand ‘Whisper’ Asked to Change its Name: Women Sign Petition on Change.org

Terming the brand name regressive, the signatories want the brand to know that women are no more whispering about periods or sanitary pads.

Menstruation, periods and sanitary pads have also been a taboo. While women have started talking openly about it, discussion on the topic is still held under wraps. And as medical shops wrap sanitary napkins in newspapers or black polythene bags so nobody sees the (shameful) packet, here are two women who are asking for an important change. A petition has been filed on Change.org to change the name of one of the top sanitary napkins brand in the country, ‘Whisper’. Terming the brand name regressive, the signatories want the brand to know that women are no more whispering about periods or sanitary pads.

The sanitary napkin brand, ‘Whisper’ owned by Procter & Gamble is called ‘Always’ in the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany and Africa. But, In India and other Asian countries, the brand is called ‘Whisper’. Now, a petition on Change.org started by Bengaluru-based Shreya Gupta is asking Whisper to change its name. They have suggested ‘Roar’ as a new name for the product.

The petition on Change.org reads, “The year is 2017 and menstruation is still a hushed topic even in India’s most urban areas. We believe that ‘Whisper’ can make a potent statement to the entire country by choosing to name itself something more liberating and empowering. And in doing so, help erase the stigma against a woman when she is on her period by creating room for dialogue and education about the subject.”

Watch the video here:

Their reasoning reads, “Every year in India, about 2 crore girls enter puberty. Very often, especially for those with access to TVs, their first introduction to their Periods involves the brand ‘Whisper’. And having to go to a store and ask for ‘Whisper’ subliminally instructs them that periods are something to be secretive about, re-affirming the archaic Indian mentality even amongst girls.” You can sign the petition here.