A Japanese department store is reconsidering a plan for employees to have the choice to wear badges when they're menstruating.
The plan was originally aimed at fostering sympathy among co-workers but triggered a public outcry.
The Daimaru Umeda department store in Osaka said on Thursday that it had hoped to encourage bonding by having menstruating staff wear a badge featuring an existing manga character named "Seiri Chan" - loosely translated as "Miss Period."
"We received many complaints from the public. Some of them concerned harassment, and that was definitely not our intention. We're reconsidering plans now," said a male executive who declined to be named.
A spokesperson was not immediately available.
The plan had been inspired by a suggestion from an employee and had been timed to coincide with the launch of a new range of "women's wellbeing" which would have a dedicated section in-store from November 22.
Wearing the badge would be optional, not compulsory, under the plan. A company executive says they are not immediately moving to scrap the plan but are revisiting ways to adapt it to foster communication between employees, rather than have staff be the target of hostile customer reactions.
On one side the badge displayed the "Seiri-chan" mascot (seiri meaning period or menstruation). The other side carried the name of the new women's care product line with the words "women's wellbeing" in Japanese.
The backlash comes as cases of workplace harassment have come under the spotlight in Japan, amid a shrinking workforce and changing values about gender roles and work-life balance. Companies are increasingly and publicly being criticised for bullying and gender discrimination.
The Daimaru executive said the store had not intended to make the badge compulsory.
Social media users had mixed reactions to the plan. Some defended the attempt to break the taboo around talking about menstruation in Japan. Others said they felt the plan only encouraged further stigmatisation and discrimination against women.
Earlier this year, WaterAid encouraged people to drop euphemisms to challenge the stigma around periods.
"While some of the euphemisms used for periods around the world are quite funny, the more people use them instead of speaking openly about menstruation, the more we are saying that this natural bodily function is shameful and should be hidden."
The charity released a short film 'Peaky Bleeders' to mark Menstrual Hygiene Day on 28 May.
With additional reporting from Reuters
