Waitrose has rebranded its 'feminine care' section to a more inclusive name after receiving a complaint that 'not all people who have periods are women'. The change, which also reflects the inclusion of incontinence pads for men, has sparked criticism from a Conservative councillor who called it 'disgraceful'.
What Waitrose Changed
The supermarket chain removed the term 'feminine care' from its sanitary products section, replacing it with a label that better reflects the full range of products, which now includes incontinence pads for men. A Waitrose spokesperson explained: 'We're changing the name simply because feminine products no longer reflects the product range, which now includes incontinence pads for men.'
The Complaint That Sparked the Change
The change followed a complaint published by James Esses, a gender campaigner and Conservative councillor for High Barnet. The complaint stated: 'Not all people who have periods are women. Trans men and some non-binary people have periods. The category also includes products used for incontinence. Yet the language we use still suggests that these products are exclusively for women and femininity.'
Waitrose's Internal Response
According to documents leaked to Esses, a Waitrose manager agreed that 'the term feminine care does not accurately describe the products within the category and that this should be changed'. The manager added: 'I believe that the internal naming comes from the title given to the layout group so I will ask that our range and space manager and buyer work to get this name updated as soon as possible.'
Criticism from Gender Campaigners
James Esses, who has been openly critical of gender fluidity and was expelled from university after campaigning against a proposed ban on conversion practices, condemned the move. He said: 'Waitrose erases womanhood.' He also claimed: 'A whistleblower from Waitrose has just leaked an internal document to me, in which senior leaders have pledged to remove the name feminine care from sanitary products, on the basis that not all people who have periods are women. Disgraceful.'
Waitrose Defends the Change
Waitrose defended the rebranding, emphasizing that it was a practical update to reflect the product range rather than a political statement. The spokesperson reiterated that the change was made because the product category now includes items for men, such as incontinence pads.
