Best in the Biz - Menstrual Health

Rochelle Courtenay (Share The Dignity), Alisha Aiten-Radburn (The Cova Project Ambassador), Geena Dunne (The Cova Project) and Tanya Lee (The Corrilee Foundation) at The Cova Project Fundraiser working together to spread awareness for the issue of period poverty.

While progress in the menstrual heath space has been frustratingly slow (I mean, GST only came off pads and tampons in 2019!), this month’s Cova Conversation wants to shine a spotlight on and celebrate all of the amazing work that has been happening within the space in the lead up to Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28)! All of these amazing companies and individuals are trailblazers in the sector and are helping to de-stigmatise, educate and celebrate the magic that is periods.

Our first round of applause goes to two companies who are working hard to normalise periods and eradicate period poverty. You would of course have heard of Taboo, the social enterprise selling organic pads and tampons while donating all net profits to fight period poverty through their partnership with One Girl (operating in Sierra Leone and Uganda) and their sponsorship with South Australia’s Vinnie’s Women’s Crisis Centre. Even more amazing is that founders, Eloise Hall and Isobel Marshall, founded Taboo when they were just 17 and 18 years old. 

Next up is Woolies! And why, may you ask, is a multinational grocery store chain in today’s Conversation about periods? In February of this year, Woolies relabelled the ‘menstrual hygiene’ section of their stores to ‘period care’ in an effort to de-stigmatise periods and make them a normal part of our vocabulary. After all, periods shouldn’t be embarrassing, just say the word! Woolies has also partnered with Share the Dignity Australia, a charity whose aim is to eradicate period poverty nationally. Being a charity ourselves, we know how much these corporate partnerships are worth and just how much it will help Share the Dignity increase its reach and achieve its aim even faster. Kudos to you Woolies!

Another exciting advancement in the menstrual health space is the product innovation that is going on, giving women more freedom to choose period products which suit their body best. While the trusty menstrual cup isn’t exactly a new innovation, they are becoming a more mainstream product and can now be found sitting next to pads and tampons wherever you usually find these products. Forward thinking companies such as Lunette, Tom Organics and Moxie are offering numerous shapes and sizes of the menstrual cup, giving women added choice when picking the most sustainable form of period care. 

‘Period undies’ have also become a thing! Brands such as Bonds and ModiBodi have created undies to wear on your period (without any need for pads/tampons/cups) which contain layers of blood absorbing and leak proof fabric so that you can get on with your day confidently! And best of all, they’re reusable so you can wash and wear each month, drastically lowering your consumption of single use products. 

And last but not least, we’d like to put the spotlight on some incredibly brave women who are talking about their experience of endometriosis to educate and support other women going through the same illness. Just to name a few, we’d like to shout out Bridget Hustwaite, author of How to Endo, Tayla Damir, who has generously shared her experience of laparoscopy surgery on Instagram (@tayla.damir)  and Kylie Brown (@endo.runner) who has done an enormous amount of work to raise awareness for Endometriosis Australia. With more women talking about their period related illnesses, the less stigma there is to go and seek help when you know that something is not right within your own body. These ladies have validated so many women’s experiences of awful periods and provided comfort to those suffering, showing that they are not alone in their experiences. These voices are loud, strong and are awakening a much needed conversation in Australia about illnesses caused by menstruation. 

So there it is! A nice and succinct rap up of all the best and fairest in Australia’s menstrual health space. Here at The Cova Project we’re proud to be a part of such an innovative and progressive space and are so excited to see what’s next. Oh, and don’t forget to celebrate Menstrual Hygiene Day on the 28th of this month with a Bloody Mary! It’s a bloody good day to have a bloody good drink for a bloody good cause... 

 By Jasmine Lewin