A Zimbo Jam reader responds to a tasteless marketing campaign by RM Insurance.

Dear RM Insurance, I am still trying to link menstrual periods with renewal of insurance as your advert in the Herald of 04 February 2010 suggests. It would appear that you have not made the link between women's sexuality and human dignity. For purposes of future marketing decisions I will try to elaborate.

Menstrual periods are a matter of personal privacy and concern the very person of a woman as opposed to property Insurance which as you show in your advert is a matter of material importance. We live in a system that takes women and their dignity for granted and have had to deal with computer and cigarette adverts being linked to women's breasts (how?!).

It is in this environment that you found it tasteful and dignified to link this private experience with the marketing of your products which has triggered an angry response in me. Further to this women are continuously fighting for ownership of resources in this skewed-ownership system we live in.

As late as October 2009 a Women's Economic Summit established just how little women own in this country. In view of this, I can not understand how you link the most private of experiences of the most disenfranchised group of citizens to ownership of caterpillars, cruise ships and large commercial properties. It is a dishonest linkage, to make, at best and very disrespectuful of the Zimbabwean woman at worst.

Traditionally women's menstrual periods, regardless of their biological nature, have been linked to unholiness, uncleaniness among other negatives, leading to isolations and bans from everyday activity for the concerned women. Althought cases vary, society has for long used this natural process as a basis for disrespecting and  disregarding women.

It is on this basis that your advert on page B10 in the Herald of the 4th of February 2010 is seen as adding salt to already festering open wounds.

You definitely have the freedom of thought to come up with marketing concept that you want but if they should hit raw nerves and attract our negative attention then you should also expect responses such as this one. It is my hope that you will understand this position and address it accordingly.

- Disgusted & Truly Disappointed Zimbabwean Woman

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Angela M.   |2010-02-06 11:45:38 This is a sheer lack of sensitivity to women. They must offer an apology not just to the women of Zimbabwe, but to the women of the world. Reply 0   0

Pablo  - Mr   |2010-02-09 05:32:26 So sad can we not report them to a body that deals with advertising/public/human rights/, they need only apologise but pull the advert out, shame on the markerting people. I would never have a RENEWAL PERIOD with them. Reply 0   0

Asi chii?  - Not acceptable   |2010-02-09 06:24:42 I am concerned about the people at the newspaper who accept money and such copy without question. It says a lot about the gender sensitivity at the Herald. Reply 0   0

Mawani   |2010-02-11 08:23:39 Very creative ad! Reply 0   0

Mai George  - REALITY REALITY   |2010-02-17 14:24:51 Im a woman and i think these guys are very creative, i love it i love it, whats so embarrassing about our cycle, its as natural as growing hair in secret places for men.... Lets have problems with other issues in our papers not this, come on guys... Reply 0   0

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