Environmenstrual Week is a week of action that promotes both sustainable and healthy periods. To help amplify the discussion and celebrate Environmenstrual Week during October, we feature 5 female founders, in the Environmenstrual Coalition, that are leading the way in the plastic-free period’s movement.
Ishu Shiva | Sanitree
Ishu Shiva is an Indian Yoga Teacher & Social Entrepreneur. Her interest in ancient yogic practices pushed her towards a focus on the environment and health. She is one of the Founding members & Managing Director of Sanitree (India), a student-led social enterprise that produces reusable pads.
Sanitree has combined new ideas with ancient technology and wisdom to offer a meaningful approach to menstrual health. Sanitree as a business addresses a broad range of issues aiming to target socio-economic, environmental and health problems simultaneously through their education programmes and products.
Manjit Gill | BINTI
Manjit is the CEO and founder of the phenomenal charity, Binti International which is registered in the UK, India and the US. Binti has the vision to create a world where all women have menstrual dignity.
Manjit has amassed over 20 years of international business expertise and has been involved in 7 startups prior to Binti. It was her role as a volunteer mentor for a young woman in Kenya with the Cherie Blair Foundation that led her to start Binti when she found out that some women do not have access to menstrual products.
Her mission is to create a huge social impact, whilst generating a sustainable organisation. Binti does this by providing basic menstrual products and education for girls and women across the world whilst dispelling stigmas, taboos and making it a mission to #smashshame with periods.
Mandu Reid | The Cup Effect
Mandu Reid, Founder of The Cup Effect. The Cup Effect is a charitable NGO, not-for-profit social enterprise, and advocacy organisation that exists to #MakePeriodPovertyHistory. The Cup Effect aims to empower women and girls in low-income communities around the world by raising awareness about menstrual cups and making them more widely available.
Because cups last for up to 10 years they offer a long-term, environmentally and economically sound alternative to pads and tampons that enables women and girls to take control of their bodies, realise their rights, fulfil their potential and lead dignified lives free from the limitations and exclusion caused by period poverty.
Ruby Raut | WUKA
Ruby Raut, the CEO and Co-Founder of WUKA Period Pants. WUKA stands for Wake Up Kick Ass and that’s exactly what Ruby has done for the world of sustainable periods.
WUKA period pants have hit the shelves at supermarket giant Sainsbury’s. WUKA has also launched a campaign to axe the 20% tax on period pants. The Government announced there will be no period tax on menstrual products from January 2021 but has failed to recognise reusable period pants as a menstrual product. This creates an unfair playing field for disposable period products to be a lower price than sustainable period pants taxed at 20% VAT.
Susan Allen and Tara Chandra | FLO
As any fempire worth its salt, the idea for FLO came to Susan and Tara in the university bathrooms, where they would always catch up between classes and often let themselves dream of their futures. A few years later and you can find their beautiful sweets-inspired products (period cravings, anyone?) in Boots, Holland & Barrett, Morrisons, Ocado and loads of other fabulous UK-and-beyond-retailers.
But they didn’t stop there – recognising the need to bring healthier, eco-friendlier, ‘adorabler’ period care closer to the people who need them, they also created an online subscription service that brings your favourite organic products straight through your letterbox! 5% of profits go to @OrchidProject, and they make monthly product donations to charities tackling period poverty – trying their best to give back and empower womxn through everything they do!
FLO is a proud black-owned and women of colour-owned period care business. We’re honoured that FLO is part of the Environmenstrual Coalition and salute them for being leaders and role models in the #plasticfreeperiods space.
