Innovative Brand Thinx – How to Make Women’s Lives Easier
A couple of months ago I got off the train and I saw an ad of a woman falling down with an egg yolk pouring out next to her. A few days later I saw the same ad on the subway and I read that it was an innovative product for women having their period. I said: „Wow” out loud right away, because if there is any technology that can help me out while I’m menstruating, I say yes to it right away! I can easily picture men’s faces right now. Every time men hear these two ugly words – „period” and „menstruation”, they act like we’re telling them we have a strange disease. Really? We have it every month. Your grandma, your mother, your sister, your girlfriend, your wife, your mistress (yes, this young one too) has it. It’s a natural part of our lives. Get over it! If it wasn’t for our period, you wouldn’t even exist!
I googled the name Thinx that appeared on a poster with pleasure, because I knew that there must be a woman behind that product – only a woman can understand what we’re going through and how much we need some sort of revolution in this matter. What is revolutionary about this underwear is that you put it on while you have your period and you don’t have to use any tampons or pads. In other words – you put your panties on and that’s it. I know that some of you think: „It can’t be”, but I believe that in a few years we’ll be laughing at ourselves for having thought Thinx was an innovation. I will become a natural part of our life.
After a few days I read an article in NY Magazine about Miki Agrawal, a New Yorker who came up with the whole idea. It turned out that she was inspired to create this product when she was on her trip to Uganda. She met a teenage girl who admitted she was missing the whole week of school, because it was her „week of shame”- this is what she called the week when she was having her period. After Agrawal came back to NY, she did some research and found out that there are over 60 million girls worldwide that are dealing with the same problem! What Miki also discovered was that the girls over there have problems with hygiene products and the girls over here have problems with underwear that is constantly ruined during their „week of shame”. And this is how Thinx was born. The amazing thing is that for every pair of Thinx sold, the company donates money covering the cost of one set of reusable pads by Afripads – the company that makes pads for Ugandan girls (and by the hands of Ugandian girls).
Thinx, like every topic that is not quite comfortable (why would you dare to talk about menstruation?!) caused quite a stir, because MTA wasn’t sure if Thinx’ ads all over the subway were such a great idea. Miki, of course, pointed out that MTA seemed to not to have any problem with putting up ads full of half-naked women in breast plastic surgeries ads (that are constantly on subway and I truly hate them) and yet has a problem with something that’s so natural to EVERY SINGLE WOMAN ON EARTH. Luckily MTA pulled their shit together and now you can spot Thinx ads in the subway (I just saw another one today).
Thinx is expanding and I keep my fingers crossed. I’m rooting for Thinx not only because it’s a great idea, but I’ll always support enterprising women who want to achieve more, especially in a field that is such a huge part of being a woman.
I’m writing this article while I’m having my period and I just ordered a pair of Thinx. I have no idea what took me so long.
